


Walking on Sunshine

by aalexandravictoriaa



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band), ashton irwin - Fandom, luke hemmings - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Fluff, High School AU, Lashton - Freeform, M/M, Smut, Soul Mate AU, ashton is a flower child, idk i suck at tags sorry, lashton soul mate au, luke is kind of a bad boy, might do some side malum just because, probably later on though, theyre soul mates but luke doesnt believe it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-26
Updated: 2015-03-04
Packaged: 2018-03-03 17:20:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 30,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2858813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aalexandravictoriaa/pseuds/aalexandravictoriaa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ashton still has not met his soul mate. It wasn't that big of a deal, though. He told himself that he was still fairly young and that he had plenty of time to meet his soul mate. Ashton thoroughly believed that the universe had a master plan and he decided that he would meet his soul mate when the universe decided the time was right. So he wasn't too worried, not yet anyway. He knew that his soul mate was out there in the world and Ashton being so free-spirited and loving, knew that whoever he was destined to spend eternity with was most likely an amazing, beautiful, and caring soul. So Ashton wasn't too worried about not meeting his soul mate. He knew that it was all in due time that he would meet the one person who would cause his heart to swell and feel as if it was about to burst. So he waited patiently and hopefully, more ready with each passing day to find a love that would last a lifetime.</p><p>or</p><p>Ashton and Luke are soul mates but Luke doesn't believe it because he's an emotionally constipated bad boy and Ashton is literal walking sunshine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Ashton didn't know how he felt about the whole _“the universe will brand you with a tattoo that will represent your soul mate”_ thing. It’s not that he didn't believe in soul mates, because he did with all of his heart. He knew that the mark on his arm meant that somewhere in the world, the person who he would love for the rest of his life was waiting for him. Sure, he was fairly upset that he had not met his soul mate yet in his eighteen years of life, but he believed that he or she was out there.

The issue Ashton does seem to have with the whole soul mate thing is that he is _completely and utterly_ confused by the mark on his skin. He was not born with his tattoo. Some people are born with it, but most have it randomly appear on their skin one day. There is no age limit on when you can get the tattoo, but everyone seems to get theirs by the time they turn sixteen. When ashton was about 11 years old he was woken up one night by a warm tingling sensation against his skin. When he lifted his shirt and observed the area, he realized that his soul mate tattoo appeared and it resembled a little animal with a music note inside. Looking at it closer, Ashton realized that he had a little penguin tattoo. He stared at his tattoo and desperately tried to think of someone he knew who matched the new mark on his arm, but after an hour or so of trying to remember every person he had ever seen in his life, he became frustrated by the fact that he didn't know anyone who could be represented by his tattoo.

Seven years later and Ashton still has not met his soul mate. It wasn't that big of a deal, though. He told himself that he was still fairly young and that he had plenty of time to meet his soul mate. Ashton thoroughly believed that the universe had a master plan and he decided that he would meet his soul mate when the universe decided the time was right. So he wasn't too worried, not yet anyway. He knew that his soul mate was out there in the world and Ashton being so free-spirited and loving, knew that whoever he was destined to spend eternity with was most likely an amazing, beautiful, and caring soul. So Ashton wasn't too worried about not meeting his soul mate. He knew that it was all in due time that he would meet the one person who would cause his heart to swell and feel as if it was about to burst. So he waited patiently and hopefully, more ready with each passing day to find a love that would last a lifetime.

*

Luke Hemmings woke up to the annoying sound of his alarm clock buzzing close to his ear. Without opening his eyes, he swung one long arm across the bed in the general direction of the noise. He successfully managed to hit the clock, but as it crashed against the dresser and fell onto the floor, the obnoxious ringing continued to sound throughout Luke's room. Cursing under his breath, Luke finally found the motivation to get up and turn the clock off before he chucked it against the nearest wall.

Luke hated waking up in the morning. Luke hated having to get up and get ready for school. Luke hated everything. And most of all he hated the _stupid_ soul mate thing that the universe just _had_ to conjure up. Luke hated it because he didn't have a soul mate. And he secretly cursed himself for not being good enough for a lifetime partner. Some people were born without a soul mate. It was rare, but it did happen. It happened enough for Luke to know that people without soul mates usually end up severely unhappy with their lives. Soul mateless people normally married each other, not that they were necessarily in love, but they just didn't want to spend their lives alone. So instead of throwing themselves a one man or woman pity party, they married each other and doubled up the number of party guests. But they were never truly happy. In this world, it seemed that having a soul mate was crucial if you wished to be happy. The whole idea of the _stupid_ soul mate thing is that your other half, your one true love, is handpicked for you by the universe. The concept sounds simple enough, but not for poor Luke. Most people seem to get their soul mate tattoo by their sixteenth birthday and if you don't have one by then, then you probably don't have a soul mate. Unfortunately for Luke, he turned sixteen a year ago and he never received his tattoo.

He waited patiently for it, or as patiently as someone possibly could wait for a life changing event like this. He wanted so desperately to have a soul mate, to feel whole for once in his life. But the closer it got to Luke's sweet sixteen, the more anxious he became. He also noticed the sympathetic glances from family members and friends. He didn't want to be pitied though. He just wanted to be loved. But when his birthday rolled around and there was no sign of his soul mate tattoo, Luke knew that would never happen. He knew now that he would have to spend his life alone without anyone to love him effortlessly and unconditionally. He knew that there was no one out there for him to love this way, no one he could call his own. And so Luke Hemmings slowly made his way out of bed and unenthusiastically prepared himself to face the day.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is meant to describe Luke's and Ashton's personalities and how different they both are. I'm sorry if I'm making you wait for lashton. I promise it's coming soon!

Luke Hemmings is an asshole. At least that’s what everyone thinks. If you asked around town, people would gladly talk your ear off about _that Hemmings kid_. He’s known as “the punk,” “the bad boy,” “the one who had so much potential but he threw it away and now look how he turned out,” but most of all he’s known as “the guy without a soul mate.” Luke hated the last one the most.

What happened to Luke Hemmings? That seems to be a question that everyone asks. The truth about Luke is that he was so heart broken when he realized he would never have a soul mate that he shut himself off from the outside world. He traded his football for a guitar and his sports jersey for a leather jacket. He distanced himself from his family and his friends. He thought he was unlovable. No matter how many times his mother tried to tell him otherwise, he would just shrug it off and think “who is she to question the universe?”

 _The universe_.

Luke scoffed. _Fuck_ the universe. He used to be such a big believer in all that soul mate crap. He doesn't believe in it anymore, though. Not just because of what happened to him, but because of what he has heard about other people too. Sometimes the universe messes up and people are born without a soul mate (Luke was all too familiar with that) and sometimes the universe pairs the wrong people together. The whole system was flawed and Luke was glad that he wasn't part of something that was obviously so messed up.

So Luke did what he thought was the best thing to do in this situation. He cut himself off and locked himself away. The great relationship that he had with his family is now strained. Luke’s parents (especially his mother) are strict with some of their rules. So when Luke went out and got his first tattoo, his mother was so angry that she actually considered killing him (only for a second, though. He is still her baby after all). But her anger didn't stop Luke from adding to his tattoo collection. He figured that he didn't need a _stupid_ soul mate tattoo when he now had dozens of his own personal tattoos.

His change in appearance became more noticeable as the number of tattoos grew. In addition to the new marks on his skin, he also styled his hair in a way he personally thought was quite cool. He started wearing darker clothes that clung tightly to his newly defined muscles. He even got his lip pierced. But while people considered these physical changes to be quite shocking, his personality change was what shocked them the most. He used to be such an easy going boy. He laughed a lot and did well in school. He was polite to everyone he came into contact with. But that all changed after his sixteenth birthday. Now Luke barely talks to anyone and he is very rude on the rare occasions that he does. He wears a constant grimace on his face as a warning to those who try to get too close to him. Over the course of a year, Luke has convinced himself that he’s a dangerous person to be around. He convinced himself that he’s a good-for-nothin’ punk whose tongue was sharp enough to lacerate anyone he spoke to. And with this, he managed to convince the world (or at least just the people he went to high school with) that he was trouble and should be avoided at all costs.

*

Ashton didn’t know why it happened. He was too young at the time to understand why his father wasn't around. It seemed to little Ashton that his dad was there one day, then gone the next. As Ashton grew older and began to understand more about soul mates, he became angry at the universe. His mother caught him crying in his room one day and asked him what was wrong. Through his tears and choked sobs, he explained that he was mad at the universe for messing up. His mother gave her son a sad smile (the image of her husband walking out on her and her three kids still too fresh in her mind for her smile to be genuine) and explained that everything happens for a reason. She told him that he shouldn't be bitter over something he has no control over. She tried to placate her crying child by explaining that there was someone for everyone to love, even if the universe supposedly “messes up.” Her words soothed Ashton and he realized how silly he had been. His mother was right (she always was) and he realized that there was so much love out in the world and he could only hope that some of it was reserved especially for him.

Despite the fact that his parents were wrongly matched together, Ashton couldn't bring himself to not believe in soul mates. He was always a sensitive boy and as he grew up, he became quit a romantic young man. A lot of Ashton’s personality could be attributed to his mother. She was a fantastical woman, always spreading love and warmth wherever she went and she seemingly passed these traits onto Ashton. Anyone could see it in the way he carried himself and the way he spoke. He was soft and gentle and always eager to lend a hand or to send a warm, dimpled smile your way. He was everything that was right with the world. He was the kind of person that people wrote books about. He was a free spirit, never afraid to go wherever the wind would take him, which is why Ashton was content with packing his belongings into cardboard boxes and moving away from his childhood home because of his mother’s new job. He wasn't nervous about starting over in a new city or attending a new school. Most people would become anxious over the fact that they were leaving the warm embrace of familiarity, but Ashton welcomed the change. He was excited to see what a new town would have to offer him.


	3. Chapter 3

It all happened so fast for Ashton. One minute he was living in his childhood home, working at a local fast food restaurant, and on a steady course to graduation. The next thing he knew, his mother received a phone call informing her that her new position at her current job required her to move closer to the company’s headquarters in Sydney.

And with that one phone call, everything was about to change.

The Irwin family had spent several days packing their belongings into boxes and suitcases and now that the obnoxious task of packing not only his, but also his brother’s and sister’s bags, was completed, Ashton and his family were ready to move into their new home.

It was a nice little house that they moved into. Ashton had a room all to himself, with a large bay window that he thought would be perfect for star gazing. He stood at the window for a moment and surveyed the city. He could see the new school that he would be attending from his bedroom window. While he was going to miss his friends from his old school, he was also very excited to see what his first day at this school would bring. But before Ashton could get lost in his thoughts (he did that a lot), he forced himself to turn away from the cityscape in front of him and to finish unpacking his belongings, or most of them, anyway. He decided to just unpack the things that were necessary for school tomorrow and he would leave the rest for another time.

*

Ashton woke up before his alarm clock went off. As he made his way around his new room and began to get ready for his day, he felt an unfamiliar feeling in his stomach. It was a feeling that he couldn't place his finger on. It felt like little butterflies were somersaulting back and forth across his tummy. Most people would identify this as a feeling of nervousness, but Ashton never gets nervous. He didn't know what to make of the feeling, so he pushed it aside and tried to concentrate on preparing for his first day at the new school.

He arrived on campus earlier than he probably should have, seeing as there were barely any students there yet. He didn't let this dissuade him as he made his way to the office to pick up his class schedule. When he walked into what he assumed was the main office, he was greeted by an older woman with dyed blonde hair.

“Are you Ashton Irwin?” she asked.

“Yes, ma'am,” he replied and gave her one of his famous dimpled smiles.

The woman laughed lightly. “What nice timing! I just printed out your schedule.”

She placed the piece of paper that Ashton hadn’t realized she was holding in front of him on the desk. Ashton leaned against the desk as he studied his schedule.

“You have math first, then English, biology, and history. After those classes you have a half an hour break for lunch before finishing the day with your electives.” She explained.

Ashton was okay with his schedule. He actually really liked it because it was better than what he had at his old school. The only thing he was slightly concerned with was being able to find his classrooms on time without being late on the first day.

“Do you have a school map?” He asked.

“I can give you a map if you want one, but your guide will be here soon to walk you through your schedule and familiarize you with the school.”

Ashton just nodded at her words. He didn't realize that he would have his own special guide.

After the woman helped him, she turned around and began tapping away at her keyboard, efficiently ending their conversation. Ashton decided that he would wait in the office to see if his guide would show up so he sat down in one of the chairs across from the secretary’s desk and waited. He didn't have to wait very long. Barely two minutes after Ashton had sat down, a tall, tan boy waltzed into the office.

“Good morning, Sherry!” He exclaimed. (And now Ashton knows the name of the woman who helped him.)

“Mr. Hood!” She said turning around and smiling at the boy. “How are you today?”

“Doing well, thanks for asking. How’s Carlos?”

With that, Sherry then proceeded to tell the boy all about her cat and how silly he was being this morning when he refused to get off the kitchen counter. The boy nodded along to her story, seemingly listening intently and laughing whenever it was appropriate, even though, in Ashton’s opinion, there was nothing funny about her story. Maybe it was just because he didn't like cats.

But after a few minutes, when Ashton shifted in his seat to make himself more comfortable, Sherry’s attention was drawn back to Ashton and she jumped a little as if a bubble had just burst in her brain.

“Oh, Calum! I almost forgot! We have a new student who needs to be shown around school and you were assigned as his guide.”

The boy, Calum, turned to face Ashton and Ashton was able to take in all of Calum’s features. Besides being tall and tan, like Ashton had previously noted, he was also physically fit. He had warm, chocolate brown eyes that were crinkled at the edges because of the smile he wore. His hair was dark and his features were soft. Ashton found this boy to be quite visually appealing.

Instinctively, Ashton let his eyes roam the boy in search of his soul mate tattoo. Eventually, Ashton found the tattoo on the boy’s wrist. He stared at it for a moment before he realized what exactly he was looking at. On Calum’s right wrist, there was a small black outline of a cat. Ashton knew immediately that Calum wasn't his soul mate. Did he mention that he _really_ didn't like cats?

The raven haired boy seemed unfazed by Ashton’s staring, but even so, Ashton became embarrassed by the way he was noticeably ogling the boy.

“Um, I’m Ashton,” he said in an attempt to break the silence.

Calum smiled even wider at him. “I’m Calum and I’m your guide, obviously. I'll make sure that you don't get lost or anything.”

Ashton gave a short laugh before responding. “Thank you! That makes me feel a bit better.”

“I know the first day at a new school is rough so I'm here to help. Let me see your schedule.”

Ashton handed over his schedule and Calum took a quick glance at it before smiling again.

“We have a similar schedule!” Calum said excitedly. “Come on, let me walk you through it.”

It turned out that Ashton and Calum had the first three classes together, the same lunch break, and were together again during the last class of the day. Ashton learned a lot about Calum since he met him in the office earlier that day. He learned that Calum was the captain of the football team (he was pretty much a football prodigy). He learned that he had an older sister (and if Ashton was being honest, he would have to admit that she was the prettiest girl he had ever seen) and that he loved dogs. He learned that they had a similar taste in music and Ashton secretly hoped that was enough to spark a friendship with the dark haired boy who he had come to like so much. He also learned that Calum had already found his soul mate. Calum was one of the few lucky ones whose soul mate was his best friend before they realized that they were paired together by the universe. Calum promised Ashton that he would introduce him to his soul mate later in the day.

When lunch time came around, Calum met Ashton at his locker. When Ashton saw Calum making his way towards him, he noticed he wasn't alone. Calum was walking hand-in-hand with a red haired boy with an eyebrow piercing and ridiculously pink lips. Even though Ashton hadn’t formally met him yet, he recognized the eccentric boy to be Michael, Calum’s soul mate. (Calum talked about Michael _a lot_ and Ashton practically knew the boy’s entire life story.)

“Hey, Ashton!” Calum greeted him.

Ashton smiled at the boy, but before he could respond, Calum kept talking. “This is Michael. My soul mate.”

Calum looked at Michael so lovingly that Ashton thought he was going to vomit rainbows and butterflies.

“Nice to meet you.” Michael said, a shy smile on his face. “Calum’s been talking about you all day.”

Calum blushed at his boyfriend’s words, “I just…think you're cool. You're nice and have good taste in music so-”

“-so come sit with us at lunch!” Michael interrupted.

Ashton smiled and nodded his head. “I'd love to.”

Ashton got to know Calum and Michael better during lunch and he decided that he really liked these two boys. Calum was outgoing and friendly and was nice to everyone, whereas Michael was quiet and shy (but Calum promised that he won't shut up once you get to know him). Ashton thought they balanced each other out perfectly.

“You should come over and jam with us sometime.” Michael said, breaking Ashton out of his thoughts.

Ashton blinked at Michael. He didn't remember telling Michael he played the drums. But as if he was reading the boy’s thoughts, Michael quickly added, “Calum told me you could play the drums. Like I said, he’s been talking about you all day.” Michael said in a teasing tone and Ashton knew that he was trying to embarrass his boyfriend. Calum shot him a deadly glare, pretending to be mad at Michael, but he failed when Michael made a silly face at him and Calum burst out laughing.

Calum’s genuine laughter quickly faded into a sarcastic snort when he noticed something on the other side of the cafeteria. Michael was also staring at what his boyfriend was looking at with an unreadable expression on his face. Ashton looked up from his sandwich when he noticed his new friends’ silence and he turned around to face the other side of the room. His eyes immediately landed on what he guessed the other two were looking at.

A boy was making his way into the cafeteria. He looked disheveled, as if he had just woken up. He was tall, taller than Ashton and his friends, with a blonde quiff and a lip piercing. His dark clothes and multiple tattoos made him stand out from the other students. Ashton was mesmerized by the stranger. Even when Michael warned him to stop staring or he would get his ass kicked, Ashton couldn't bring himself to look away. The stranger turned his head in Ashton’s direction and they locked eyes. Wide hazel eyes met tired blue ones for a brief moment before the stranger abruptly turned away. Ashton sat there gaping at the boy. The moment that their eyes met, Ashton got that unfamiliar feeling in his stomach that he had felt when he woke up that morning. He felt the butterflies go into overdrive in his stomach and he could barely breathe. His friends looked at him with worried expressions before Ashton could finally choke out, “Who was that?”

“That’s Luke Hemmings. He’s bad news.” Michael replied.

“What’s so bad about him?” Ashton asked.

“He’s like the worst person in the world.” When Calum said this, Ashton quirked an eyebrow at him. “Okay, maybe not in the world, but definitely the worst person at school. He’s an asshole.”

“He doesn't have a soul mate.” Michael blurted out and Ashton’s eyes widened in shock. “That’s why he’s so pissed off. He never got his tattoo.”

"No, that's not true. I heard his soul mate died or something." Calum interjected.

The couple then dove into a conversation, gossiping about the blonde boy and all the rumours they had heard about him. Ashton just stayed quiet for the rest of lunch. He found himself thinking more and more about the boy without a soul mate.

*

It was finally the end of the day. He had muddled through his first elective class and now Ashton only had one more class to get through and then he could go _finally_ go home. Just one more class to get through and he got to spend it with Calum. How bad could it be?

Ashton froze in the doorway of the classroom when he noticed who was sitting at one of the desks.

Luke was sitting in the back of the classroom. He had his headphones in and he wasn't paying attention to what was going on around him. Calum noticed the curly haired boy’s hesitation.

“Are you okay?” Calum asked him.

“Yeah I just…forgot what class this was for a second.” Ashton was a horrible liar.

Calum seemed to buy it anyway, though. He laughed and patted Ashton on the back. “It’s music class, Ash. It’s only the best class of the day!”

Ashton took his seat where the teacher told him to. He was in the back corner of the room, two rows away from Calum and on the opposite side of the room from Luke. The teacher began class immediately.

“I don’t want to waste any time today.” She said as she began passing out papers. Ashton realized it was a rubric for a project. He heard the rest of the class groan, but he felt excited. Ashton loved being creative.

“This is a partner project,” the teacher continued. Friends began turning in their seats to look at each other, silently confirming that they would be working together. Calum turned to Ashton and Ashton just smiled and nodded, grateful that the boy had taken such a liking to him. “I will be picking your partners for you.” The teacher finished. Well, there goes that.

She went through the entire roster and Ashton was convinced she didn't have partners chosen already. It seemed to him that she would just choose two people at random. Several students were paired before she called his name.

“Ashton Irwin,” she looked up, obviously trying to put a face to the name. When she spotted him in the back, she looked back down at her roster again.

“You will be paired with Luke Hemmings.”

Ashton’s blood froze. A few students turned to him and gave him sympathetic looks. He slowly turned in his seat. Once again, hazel met with blue and Ashton could hear his heartbeat in his ears.

There were those damn butterflies again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Malum is real and Luke and Ashton now finally know each other exist!  
> I know it's super cliche to have them paired together for a project, but Luke is so antisocial that I thought this was a way to get them to talk that would stay true to the story and their individual personalities. I promise this project will only have a minor role in the story.  
> Just to clear it up so there's no confusion, when I say football I am not referring to American football. I mean soccer. I'm just trying to keep it Australian since they're in Australia, obviously.  
> Thank you for reading! There's more lashton to come!  
> 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is in Luke's pov. This all takes place the night before Ashton's first day and during his first day at the new school. I'm sure you could figure that out without me telling you but I just wanted to make sure no one got confused.  
> Also, there's some bad language in this chapter because it's from Luke's point of view and he's very angry and curses a lot. So this is a warning if you're not comfortable with swear words. There aren't a lot of bad words, but I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable.

Two o'clock in the morning.

Luke is still awake at _mother fucking_ _two o'clock in the morning_. And he has to go to school today, which means that he'll probably get about four hours of sleep before he has to get up. That is, if he actually falls asleep soon, which Luke doubts. He doesn't know why he’s up this late, but he does know that he just feels so _off_. He feels like something is wrong. Maybe he’s getting sick.

Yeah, that’s probably it. That would explain why his stomach is in knots and why his heart feels like it’s about to burst out of his freaking chest. He thinks he has a fever too because he feels warm.

In fact, he feels _really_ warm.

He feels _too_ warm. _Holy crap what’s going on?_

Luke sits up quickly in bed and tears his blanket away his body. He reaches over to the lamp table next to his bed and turns on the light so roughly that he almost knocks the lamp over.

His skin is on fire. It’s hot to the touch and it _hurts_.

_Why does it hurt? Why is this happening?_

He looks at his left forearm. That’s where it hurts the most. As he goes to hold his arm under the lamplight, he realizes that it’s actually the only place where it hurts. Why is this one random spot on his arm burning? Does he have a rash or a bug bite or –

Luke freezes.

An image is slowly beginning to appear in the affected area. Luke watches with wide, disbelieving eyes as a picture gradually is embedded into his skin. After several minutes, the burning sensation finally gives way and Luke doesn't believe what’s left in its place.

_His soul mate tattoo. He finally got his soul mate tattoo._

Luke doesn’t believe it. He closes his eyes and shakes his head, telling himself that what just happened was a dream. But when he opens his eyes again, the tattoo is still there. It’s nestled nicely between two of his already existing tattoos and if Luke wasn't so shocked by what just happened, he would probably laugh. His soul mate tattoo stuck out from the rest of his tattoos like a sore thumb. Right in the middle of two tattoos that he got to represent his love for horror movies was a pretty purple flower.

Luke just stares at it. He’s too stunned to think straight. He wants to go running through the house and wake up his family and let them know that he’s not an unlovable loser, but there’s still a part of Luke that doesn’t believe this is real. More than half of his brain is convinced that this is just some sick dream and that he'll wake up for good without a flower tattoo on his arm.

He looks at his clock. It’s 2:38 and Luke has school in several hours and he’s still not sure if he’s awake or dreaming. He tries to think rationally. He pinches himself and slaps himself across the face. “Wake up!” He whisper-yells at himself but nothing happens. He lies down again in bed, clutching his left arm to his chest as if it was injured. His head hit the pillow and everything began to grow black. He no longer feels ill, which he’s thankful for, but he’s suddenly very tired and before another minute passes, Luke blacks out.

*

Luke wakes with a start. He sits up in his bed so quickly that he makes himself dizzy. His vision is slightly blurred and the room is spinning slowly as he grips onto the sheets to try to compose himself. He turns his head slowly to the side, mindful of his vertigo, and looks at the clock on his nightstand. Luke has a heart attack when he realizes it’s almost 11:30. He can’t believe he slept through his alarm. It is literally the most obnoxious sound in the world so _how the hell_ did he manage to sleep through it?

He races out of bed, not even looking at the clothes that he tries to quickly squeeze into. He doesn't want to be any more late for school than he already is. (Yes, he is a bad boy, but that doesn't mean he doesn't care about school.) He throws on his clothes without a second thought before he focuses on what’s really important. His hair. He grabs the hair gel from his dresser and makes his way into the bathroom to quiff up his hair.

While Luke is attempting to style his hair in the bathroom mirror, something catches his eye. He pauses for a moment while he looks at his reflection in the mirror. There on his arm is a little flower tattoo. He feels nauseous when the memory of the night before surfaces in his mind. He remembers the rapid heartbeat and the sickness and the pain. But most of all he remembers the _burning_. Luke had convinced himself that it was just an awful dream, that his mind was just playing a cruel trick on him. But now here he stands in his own bathroom during almost the middle of the day and Luke is in fact very much awake. He slowly comes to the realization that this is real. He finally received his soul mate tattoo. _He has a soul mate._

Luke doesn't know how to react. This is all he wanted for so long and he was crushed when it was taken away from him. He should be happy. He should feel relieved. He should want to run down the middle of the street and announce to the world that Luke Hemmings has a soul mate. But he doesn't feel that way. He feels more scared than anything else. His hands are actually shaking as he finishes styling his hair. He knows now that he has a soul mate and he is absolutely terrified that he won't be enough for them.

*

Luke finally arrives at school during his lunch break. He tries desperately to calm himself down, but nothing works. In fact, his heartbeat that he spent all morning trying to slow down increases tenfold when he walks into the cafeteria. As soon as he walks into the room, all eyes are on him. Everyone is watching him, watching his every move. This isn't what makes him nervous though. He’s used to the stares by now. What makes his breath hitch in his throat and causes his palms to get clammy is a boy he has never seen before.

_How has he never noticed this boy before?_

Luke makes the mistake of looking directly into the stranger’s eyes and _wow_. Hazel is suddenly Luke’s favorite colour. The boy’s eyes are sparkling. _They are freaking sparkling_ and they're almost too bright for Luke to look into. Luke doesn't even know this boy, but he immediately recognizes that he is full of _love_ and _light_. Luke questions if he’s a boy at all, or if he’s actually some sort of angel. The boy with the honey curls looks at Luke with an expression he’s never seen before. Luke is used to people staring. He’s used to the judgment and fear behind their eyes, but this boy is looking at Luke in a way he’s never been looked at before. He’s looking at Luke full of wonder and awe and there’s something about this boy that kick starts Luke’s heart.

It’s almost too much for Luke so he forces himself to quickly look away. He decides that he doesn't want to eat lunch. He tells himself he’s not hungry. (No, it has absolutely nothing to do with the hazel-eyed boy and how Luke doesn't think he could stand being in the same room with him without his heart beating out of his chest.) So Luke circles the cafeteria, careful to avoid walking past Honey Curls again, and he leaves the same way he came.

Luke can't help but notice the irony of the situation. He panicked when he woke up and realized he would be very late to school. He rushed to school as quickly as he could, but now all he wants to do is go home. He wants to go home and try to understand everything that has happened to him within the last twenty-four hours. He tells himself that he only has two more classes to get through. He can do this.

*

Even though Luke only has two classes today due to his tardiness, he can't help but feel like the day is positively dragging. Nevertheless, he is finally in music class (his favorite class). He’s not paying attention to his surroundings. He’s fiddling with the phone in his hand, trying to decide what music to listen to next, when a paper is placed on his desk. He takes his headphones out just in time to hear the teacher announce that she will be picking partners for this project. Luke rolls his eyes at this. He knows how the people in this school feel about him. He knows that the students in this class are all afraid of him and will probably complain to their friends about how they got paired with Luke and how that means that their teacher obviously doesn't like them and that they're being punished by being paired with him.

“Ashton Irwin.” This name pulls Luke from his thoughts. He’s never heard that name before.

“You will be paired with Luke Hemmings,” the teacher announces.

Luke looks around the room, trying to locate this Ashton person. He sees several people on the other side of the room giving pitying glances to one of the guys in the back and he assumes that they're feeling sorry for whoever this Ashton guy is. He looks to the opposite corner of the room and when his eyes meet the boy’s eyes, his heart stops.

It’s Honey Curls, except now Luke knows that the boy’s name is actually Ashton.

 _Ashton._ That name suits him well.

Luke is trying so hard not to panic, but he feels his throat closing and his head starts pounding and he can't understand why he’s suddenly feeling so sick. All he knows is that he has to get away. He stands up quickly and stumbles out of the room without even an apology or an explanation for his teacher. He ends up in a bathroom, though he doesn't remember how he got there.

_Is this what a panic attack feels like?_

He rushes over to the sink and splashes water on his face. He tries to get his breathing to calm down, but his heart is racing too fast and it’s impossible for him to keep still. Luke doesn't know how long he was in the bathroom, but soon enough he hears the bell ring, signaling that the day is over. He bolts out of the bathroom and makes it to his bike. He pedals home as fast as he can, but it seems like he’s moving in slow motion. When he finally makes it home, he goes straight up to his room and throws himself down on his bed. He closes his eyes and presses his fingers to his temples as he tries to figure out what’s wrong with him.

The only things he sees behind his eyelids are sparkling hazel eyes and soft, honey coloured curls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I keep teasing you guys! I promise Luke and Ashton will actually talk in the next chapter.  
> I also want to take a moment and thank everyone for reading this fic. I never expected so many people to read it. Thanks to everyone who reads it and leaves kudos and comments. You'll never know how much your feedback means to me!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are certain parts in the story where Luke or Ashton will say something and then there's an italicized sentence after it. I just want you all to know that it's supposed to be what Luke is thinking to himself during their conversation.  
> Also, the pov switches a couple times. I hope that doesn't confuse anybody.

Ashton didn't know what happened to the blond boy. After he ran out of class, Ashton didn't see him again, which meant that he had to start to work on their project by himself. He didn't mind, though. The other boy looked sick when he ran out of the room and Ashton hoped he was okay.

Since he first laid eyes on the boy in the cafeteria, Luke has been all Ashton can think about. When he was lying in bed that night attempting to fall asleep, he kept thinking of Luke’s eyes and how even though they looked tired and sad, they were the prettiest colour of blue he had ever seen.

Before he knew it, it was time for Ashton to wake up and get ready for school again. He knew what to expect today. He knew where his classrooms were and what his teachers were like. He knew he would spend his morning with Calum and eat lunch with him and Michael. But Ashton was most looking forward to the end of the day when he got to see Luke. And Ashton doesn't just get to see him, he gets to _talk_ to him. He thanks his lucky stars that he was paired with Luke Hemmings.

So far, his morning goes as expected. He meets Calum by his locker and spends his first three classes being distracted by the Kiwi boy. They don't have history together so Ashton says goodbye and tells him that he will see him at lunch. Everything is going as planned, until a certain blond boy enters the history classroom and takes a seat in the back. Ashton is slightly confused because he doesn't remember seeing Luke in this class yesterday (and he would have remembered something like that), but he’s also elated that he has more than one class with Luke. There’s still a few minutes before class starts, so Ashton decides it would be a good idea to talk to him. He’s going to use the music project as a way to start a conversation with the boy and then he'll see how it goes from there. Ashton doesn't know what’s going to happen. According to Calum and Michael, Luke is a total jerk. But Ashton is going to take this chance anyway. So he fixes his hair and the flower crown he fortunately found in one of his bags before he left for school this morning (he thought he left it behind when he moved so it was a huge relief when he found it) and he gets up from his desk and makes his way towards Luke. Like the other day in music, Luke has his headphones in and he’s not paying attention to anything that isn't the phone in his hand. There is an empty seat in front of Luke that Ashton plops himself down in and he turns around to face the blond boy. Luke still hasn’t looked up from his phone. Ashton doesn't want to invade Luke’s personal space, but it seems like the only way to get the blue eyed boy’s attention is to tap him on the arm. Ashton hesitantly reaches toward Luke, mindful of the fact that this could go _very_ wrong. Before Ashton can touch him, Luke’s head snaps up and he positively _glares_ at Ashton. Luke stares at him for a second and Ashton thought he could see Luke’s eyes soften when he realized it was Ashton, but any emotion that Luke was feeling toward the curly haired boy was quickly overcome by another glare.

“Hi, I’m Ashton,” he said in an attempt to break the awkward silence.

Luke doesn't respond, he just continues to stare at Ashton. It looks like the blond boy is trying to overcome some internal confliction of whether to give the other boy a chance or be his usual rude self to him. He apparently makes up his mind a few seconds later when he leans back in his seat and crosses his arms over his chest. He lets out a snort as his eyes travel up to Ashton’s flower crown (and Luke may or may not have been admiring Ashton’s hair again, but he will never admit that.)

“Nice flowers. You some sort of princess?” _Wow, Luke, what a rude and stupid thing to say_.

Ashton’s smile never falters as he replies, “If I'm a princess, does that make you my knight in shining armor?” _Okay, that was actually pretty smooth._

“I’m no knight in shining armor. Trust me.”

Ashton doesn't know how to respond to that so he says, "I didn't know we had this class together too. I didn't see you here yesterday."

"I came in late."

Before the silence can become awkward again, Ashton quickly changes the topic. “Anyway, I just wanted to talk to you about that music project. I started working on it yesterday in class, but I want to know if you have any ideas for it too.”

Luke felt a twinge of guilt when Ashton said that. He was very aware of the fact that he ran out of class yesterday and left Ashton to do the work all by himself. And now that Ashton is trying to talk to him, all Luke is being is rude. Ashton probably hates him.

“Um, yeah. I have a few ideas for the project. We can talk about it later.” Luke says as he nods towards the history teacher who just walked into the room.

Ashton curses his teacher for having such horrible timing, but he takes it as a good sign that Luke is willing talk to him again so Ashton smiles and goes back to his original seat.

Luke definitely _was not_ staring at Ashton’s butt as he walked away.

*

Luke couldn't believe what happened during history. He couldn't believe that Ashton made an effort to talk to him. No one ever did that. Luke argued back and forth with himself during lunch, trying to decide whether Ashton was just genuinely concerned about the music project or if he actually wanted to talk to him. He wouldn't have such a hard time accepting the fact that Ashton was just concerned about the project if he hadn't so obviously _flirted with Luke_.

He did flirt, right? No one had openly flirted with Luke in a long time so maybe he was just misreading the signs. Yeah, that was it. It was just a misunderstanding. Why would Ashton flirt with Luke? Ashton probably already met his soul mate and will live happily ever after with whoever the universe paired him with. Besides, even if the soul mate thing didn't exist, Ashton could have any guy or girl he wanted with his wide eyes and his big smile and _those fucking dimples_.

Luke slammed his head against the table. He was already in way too deep.

*

Neither Luke nor Ashton knew what to expect to happen in music class. They both knew that they were supposed to work on the project together during class, but they didn’t know how the other would act. Luke was convinced that Ashton hated him after their encounter this morning. He was mad at himself for being so rude to the boy. He probably destroyed any chance he had of getting Ashton to like him with that one conversation. Ashton, on the other hand, was afraid that he might have pushed the other boy away with his attempt at flirting this morning. He was mentally kicking himself for being so forward with the boy. Calum could tell that something was off about Ashton as they walked to their last class of the day.

“Are you okay, Ash?” the dark haired boy was genuinely concerned for his friend.

Ashton didn't respond right away, so Calum continued. “Is this because you're paired with Luke?”

Ashton wished he was paired with Luke, not just for the music project, but for life. He nodded his head.

“I know he’s an asshole and I'm sorry you're stuck with him. If he tries anything, let me know. He might be taller than me, but I could take him.”

Ashton appreciated how protective Calum was of his friends, but he found himself annoyed at the other boy at this particular moment.

“He won't try anything.” Ashton mumbled in an attempt to defend Luke. Calum must not have heard him because he didn’t reply.

Ashton looked around the room for Luke, but there was no sign of him. He took his seat and stared nervously at the clock. Class was just about to start and Ashton was convinced that Luke wouldn’t show up. He was right. He definitely pushed Luke away. But just when Ashton was starting to feel sorry for himself, a blond quiff walking into the room made his head whip around in Luke's direction. Luke took a chance and glanced at Ashton as he was walking to his seat. The shorter boy was already looking at him and when their eyes met, Ashton sent a little smile Luke’s way. Luke just looked down at the floor and kept walking.

At the start of class, the teacher announced that she would teach a new lesson before she let them work on their projects again. Ashton sulked because that meant less time with Luke. But the lesson went quickly and before they knew it, the two boys were sat side by side. Ashton had insisted that they move their desks right next to each other so it would be easier to work (and also so Ashton could be as close to Luke as possible). Surprisingly, Luke was the first to initiate conversation.

“So,” he started as he rubbed the back of his neck. “What did you get done yesterday?” Luke wanted to apologize for leaving Ashton high and dry, but he’s not the apology kind of person.

“Okay so the project is to rewrite a modern version of an older song so I thought we could do-”

That’s all Luke heard before he zoned out. He was completely mesmerized by Ashton’s lips. The way that they moved, how pink they were, how his tongue would occasionally slide between his lips when he stopped talking. _Oh shit_ , he stopped talking. Luke tore his gaze away from Ashton’s lips and looked down at the paper on his desk, not daring to meet Ashton's eyes.

“Uh, yeah that all sounds really good. What do you need me to do?”

Ashton giggled. _He fucking giggled_ and Luke swore he never heard a sound so beautiful before.

“You weren't paying attention, were you?” Ashton was trying not to laugh at Luke, but he failed as another set of giggles erupted from his throat and Luke internally groaned. This boy was killing him.

“Are you okay?” Ashton asked, suddenly sounding serious.

“Yeah, why?” Luke was confused now. Not many people (except his family, of course) cared how Luke was feeling.

“You just looked sick yesterday when you left class and you just groaned and it sounded like you were in pain.”

_Shit_ , Luke didn't mean to groan out loud.

“Uh…I was sick yesterday…and I'm…still getting over it?” _There was nothing smooth about that, Luke. He knows you're lying._

“Sorry you don’t feel well. You should drink some tea.” And with that, Ashton launched into a conversation about the different types of tea and which one Luke should drink if he has a cold or if he has a tummy ache.

There was no denying it anymore. Luke thought Ashton was absolutely adorable. He cared about Luke and he didn't even know him. He wanted him to get better even though Luke was pretty sure the shorter boy knew he was lying when he said he was sick. He was nice to Luke after he was rude to him and mocked him for his flower crown. Luke decided that Ashton was a good person. No, probably the  _best_ kind of person that could ever exist.

Luke didn't say anything while Ashton talked. He didn’t contribute to the conversation at all, but that was because he didn't feel like he needed to. There was something about Ashton that made Luke feel comfortable. He felt at home whenever he looked into Ashton’s warm, hazel eyes. He enjoyed listening to the sound of Ashton’s voice, even though he didn't care about whatever the hell he was talking about. Luke liked peeking up at Ashton whenever the smaller boy was looking away. He liked scanning his eyes over Ashton’s body. Luke was admiring the muscles in Ashton’s arms when he saw it. There, on Ashton’s arm, was a tiny little penguin tattoo. He stared at it for a couple more seconds before he realized there was a music note inside of it. Something in Luke's brain clicked and he felt the blood drain from his face. Whatever he’s been feeling for Ashton suddenly made sense.

Ashton is Luke’s soul mate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not a huge fan of this particular chapter, but I think it's necessary to have this one so it sets up the next few chapters.  
> Also, don't be too happy about Luke falling for Ashton because I'm going to warn you now that he will resist Ash as much as he possibly can.  
> As always, thank you for taking the time to read this fic! I remember telling my friend that she would probably be the only one to read it, but I guess I was wrong! I also really appreciate your feedback. Remember, you can comment on the story below or you can find me on [tumblr](http://downunderclifford.tumblr.com/) and we can talk about it all you want! Thank you again!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italicized words are Luke thinking to himself again.

_Okay, Luke. Let’s think rationally about this. Ashton can't be your soul mate. So what if he has a tattoo of your favorite animal? That doesn't mean anything. For all you know, it could be an ordinary tattoo that he got from a tattoo artist. Maybe he just likes penguins too. You're not the only person in the world who loves penguins. Y_ _eah, that’s probably it. That’s not his soul mate tattoo, it’s just a random tattoo and his soul mate tattoo is somewhere else on his body._

 _But what if it is his soul mate tattoo? What if Ashton is your soul mate? No, Ashton_ is not _your soul mate. Ashton is sunshine and rainbows and…flowers… Holy shit, Luke, your soul mate tattoo is a flower! No, this can't be right. Someone as amazing as Ashton would have a better tattoo representing him than just a flower. There’s no way in hell that Ashton is your soul mate. There’s no way that the universe would pair you two together. You’re just over thinking things, Luke, like you always do._

Luke argued back and forth with himself for what felt like hours. Finally, he figured out a solution to his Ashton problem. Luke made a plan and he was going to stick to it.

He must avoid Ashton at all costs.

Luke finally fell asleep that night comforted by the fact that he would put some distance between himself and Ashton. But when Luke showed up to school the next day, he realized that his plan was easier said than done. Apparently, Luke had forgotten the one minor detail that they are partners in their music class and that Luke will be forced to interact with the curly haired boy. He considered skipping music altogether, but he couldn't bring himself to disappoint Ashton. So Luke walked into his last class of the day and tried to ignore the way the hazel eyed boy perked up in his seat at the sight of him.

They had been working on the project for almost the entire class and Luke couldn't wait for the bell to ring and temporarily put an end to his torture. Ashton had insisted that the two boys sit as close as possible again like they did the other day, but the time they spent together today was different from yesterday. The chemistry between the two had drastically changed. Ashton thought that yesterday went well for the both of them. He kept the conversation going while Luke just nodded along and pretended to look vaguely interested. Considering everything that Ashton had heard about the taller boy, he considered that to be a good sign. But maybe Ashton misread the signs because he could sense that something was wrong with Luke again and he felt like the blond's sour mood was because of him.

“Are you okay?” Ashton asked the same question as he did yesterday, but this time he received a much different answer.

“No.”

“What’s wrong?” Ashton seemed genuinely concerned and Luke hated him for it.

“Nothing.”

“Are you sick again?” The one-word answers were making Ashton nervous.

“Yeah.”  _I am sick. Love sick. Sick of the way you make butterflies erupt in my stomach. Sick of the way your hair bounces and how it frames your beautiful face perfectly. Sick of the way your eyes sparkle so bright that the stars look dull in comparison. Sick of how close you are sitting next to me and how I can smell your shampoo and it smells like vanilla and honey and I can only imagine that your lips taste like strawberries and sunshine. But most of all, I'm sick of the universe and how it's trying to force us together even though you deserve someone way better than me._ _  
_

Luke froze at his last thought, realization settling in that he is not enough for Ashton. Ashton deserves someone who will love him hopelessly and unconditionally. He deserves someone who is full of goodness and love. He deserves someone who isn't Luke. Judging by the way Ashton is staring at him, Luke knows that the smaller boy must also feel this strange connection that the two of them have. Like they are drawn together by some unseen force. So Luke changes his plan. Avoiding Ashton will not be enough. The two will always find each other, especially since the universe is the one who is drawing them together. So no, avoiding him won't work, but pushing him away will. Ashton's only chance for happiness is if he hates the blond boy. So Luke breaks the silence that had fallen between them when he got lost in his thoughts.

“I am sick. Sick of this.” He gestured between him and Ashton.

“What?” Ashton was confused and also scared. He didn't like where this conversation was going.

“I’m sick of you trying to talk to me. I don't want to talk to you. I sure as hell don't want to be your friend so stop being nice to me. And I'm sick of working on this fucking stupid project with you. I guess I'm just sick of you. This whole thing has been a waste of my time.” And with that, Luke stood up and stormed out of the room.

So much for not wanting to disappoint Ashton.

*

Luckily for Ashton, there were only a few minutes of class left when Luke walked out on him. He only had to keep himself together for a couple moments longer and then he would be free to run into the nearest bathroom and break down. He tried his absolute best to ignore the way the other kids were staring at him. He could feel twenty pairs of eyes boring into him, but he could feel one person’s eyes burning his skin more than the others. He glanced up and met a pair of usually soft brown eyes, but in this moment, they looked a deadly black. Calum noticed the way Ashton’s eyes were glassy and how the smaller boy was desperately trying to not cry in the middle of class. Calum stood up and was just about to bolt after Luke and beat the shit out of him when the bell rang. Ashton stood up quickly and gathered his things. He rushed over to the teacher and practically threw the project at her.

“We're done with the project” was all he managed to get out before the tears started to fall. He rushed out of the room and before he knew it, he was locking himself into a bathroom stall, silent sobs causing his chest to heave. “Why am I crying?” Ashton asked himself through his tears. “I don't even know him so why am I crying over him?” He was having a full on breakdown and he somehow ended up on the bathroom floor (as unsanitary as that was, he couldn't bring himself to care at the moment.) He didn't know how long he was in there. It could've been seconds, minutes, hours, days. All he knew was that the tears wouldn't stop falling and he couldn't figure out why. Sure, people have been mean to Ashton in the past. He would get made fun of for the flower crowns he wore and the way he didn't laugh, but giggled, at everything. But what Luke said hurt him. Hurt him worse than if the blond boy had actually stabbed him with a pair of scissors.

Soon enough, Ashton heard the bathroom door opening and people walking in. He held his breath and curled up in a ball, trying his best to become invisible.

“Ashton?” Someone spoke softly and he recognized the smooth voice.

“In here,” he whimpered through his tears as he sat up against the wall and unlocked the door.

There was a flash of bright red hair and two arms around him, pulling him into a bone-crushing hug.

“Shh, Ash, it’s okay.” Michael’s voice was low and comforting as he pressed kisses into Ashton’s curls.

“M-Michael…I…” Ashton had to take a deep breath to calm himself down. “This is _stupid_. I don't know why I'm crying.” He finally admitted.

“Because that fucking piece of shit was a rude dick to you.” Calum spoke up from the doorway of the bathroom. “I sent Michael to find you while I went after Luke, but I couldn't find him. Fucker must have left right after he bitched out at you” the dark haired boy explained.

“Thank you.” Ashton’s voice was small, barely above a whisper.

The three boys were silent. Calum just stood and watched the scene before him. He watched as his boyfriend continued to hold Ashton. He watched as Ashton finally stopped crying and how his tears eventually dried on his cheeks. He swore to himself that he would protect Ashton.

Luke Hemmings was a dead man.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry lashton shippers. I didn't mean to tear your hearts out and stomp on them but apparently that's what I ended up doing and now I am sad.  
> Please comment with any feedback or questions. It means a lot to hear from you guys and, as always, thank you for reading this stupid story.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vulgar language ahead.

Calum decided that seeing Ashton sad was the worst thing in the world. The curly haired boy’s eyes would grow wide and his lips would form into a small, shaky pout and Calum thought his friend looked incredibly similar to one of those dogs in a pet adoption commercial who was just begging to be taken home.

Calum was very protective of the people he loved. Even though he was younger, he was constantly watching over his sister, making sure no friends were going behind her back and no boys were breaking her heart. Calum was also protective of Michael. Michael was a fantastic person once you got to know him, but it was getting to know him that was the hard part. Michael’s naturally shy demeanor made him an easy target for people who didn't want their victims to fight back. That’s how Calum and Michael had met. They were about eight years old and Michael was being bullied on the playground until Calum stepped in and defended the quiet boy. They became inseparable after that and then six years later, the two discovered that they were each other’s soul mates.

And now Calum is protective of Ashton. This small, happy boy came into school on the first day with bouncing curls and a radiant smile and he was _so nice_ to everyone he met and Calum questioned how one person could be so genuinely amazing. And then on the second day, when Ashton had worn his flower crown, Calum immediately knew that Ashton was more akin to some mythical creature than a teenage boy. Ashton is special, _so_ special. Anyone who talks to him immediately recognizes him to be goodness and light and Calum thinks that it’s because of this that Luke doesn't like him. Unlike Ashton, who is a shimmering summer’s day, Luke is a raincloud, a tiresome and ominous presence just waiting to pour down negativity on anyone within his proximity.

And that is the reason why Calum is currently pinning Luke up against a wall before school starts, with one arm against the blond’s chest while his fist comes down to punch the wall barely an inch away from Luke’s face.

“If you ever hurt Ashton like that again, I promise I will kill you, Hemmings. I will not hesitate to _rip your fucking head off_.” Calum actually snarled.

Luke didn’t respond. He just let Calum push him harder up against the wall and he didn't complain even when it became harder for him to breathe.

“Why are you such a fucking asshole?” Luke’s silence was making Calum even angrier.

“I have my reasons.” Luke meant to sound menacing, but his voice betrayed him and he spoke barely above a whisper.

“ _Big fucking deal_ , you have issues with soul mates. I don't know what the fuck happened to you to make you such a douche but if you ever make Ashton cry like that again I will shove my foot so far up your ass that I’ll kick out your teeth.”

Luke met Calum’s eyes with a pained expression on his face. “Ashton cried?”

“Why do you care?”

“I have my reasons.” Luke repeated again, this time looking anywhere but at Calum. He didn't want the tan boy to see how close he was to crying.

Calum noticed anyway. He noticed the way that Luke’s bottom lip began to quiver until he desperately bit it between his teeth in an attempt to stop it. He noticed the way Luke began breathing rapidly and how upset he looked. Calum pushed off of Luke and took a step back, giving the boy some space to breathe.

“I want to fucking kill you for what you said.” Calum muttered, but then quickly continued. “But Ash made me promise I wouldn’t hurt you. I don't know what that kid sees in you but I think he _likes_ you, which I don’t get at all, but I won't hurt you because hurting you means hurting him and unlike you, I actually care about his feelings.”

Luke didn’t respond. He couldn’t. Calum was wrong, _so_ wrong. If only he knew the truth.

“Just stay away from Ashton.” Calum cocked his head to the side as he waited for Luke’s response.

All Luke could do was nod.

*

Calum had no idea. He didn't know how Luke felt about Ashton. He didn't know that they were soul mates. He didn't know that Luke left school yesterday after yelling at Ashton and that he went home and cried for pretty much the entire night. He didn't know how much it hurt for Luke to push Ashton away. But as much as it hurt for Luke, apparently it hurt even more for Ashton.

Luke was haunted by Calum’s words all day. He just kept telling himself that he did a good thing and that now Ashton will have a chance at a happy life. But then Luke walked into history and what he saw crushed his heart. Ashton was drooped over his desk and he reminded Luke of a wilting flower, tired and drained of most of its energy. Luke’s heart ached when he realized that in the two classes that he has with Ashton, Ashton always watches the door until Luke walks in. Then the curly haired boy always perks up in his seat and smiles at Luke. Luke never returned any of Ashton’s smiles before and now he’s worried that the boy will never smile at him again. Ashton still doesn’t look up when Luke makes his way to his seat and Luke feels his stomach churn.

_“You did a good thing, Luke. He'll get over you and he'll be happy again soon._ ” Luke tells himself. But when he looks over at Ashton again, Luke can't help but think that maybe what he did wasn't such a good thing after all.

*

Luke spent the entire day thinking about Ashton. He spent his lunch period not eating, but looking across the cafeteria towards Ashton. He looked a little more animated around his friends, but Luke still recognized that he was not being his usual energetic, happy self. And Luke knows it’s his fault. When the lunch period was over, Luke watched as Calum gave his boyfriend a sweet peck on the lips and gave Ashton a big hug. He watched Ashton wave goodbye to the dark haired boy. Luke didn't understand why Calum was leaving until he saw him get on a bus with the rest of the football team. Oh, right. The football team has an away game today, which means that they have to leave school early. Which also means that Luke will be alone with Ashton in music (well, not alone, obviously, there's still like twenty other kids in the room, but at least he won't have to deal with Calum’s death threats.) Luke doesn't know why this thought excites him. It’s not like he plans on talking to Ashton later, especially when the whole point of all of this was to push Ashton away. Luke wasn't going to be weak and give in.

Or so he thought.

Luke was about three seconds away from giving in when he walked into music. Ashton was already at his desk, but he had his head down this time. The blond boy thought that maybe Ashton had fallen asleep, but when the teacher started class, he lifted his head from his desk and began taking notes.

“You have the last twenty minutes of class to finish your project.” Their teacher, Mrs. Armstrong, announced during the last half of the class.

And with that, people started changing seats and rearranging desks so they could finish their projects. Luke slowly made his way over to Ashton and sat down in the seat next to him.

“I finished the project yesterday. I already handed it in.” Ashton didn't even look up from what he was drawing in his notebook as he spoke.

Luke flinched. There was no emotion in Ashton’s smooth, honey voice. “Oh okay.” Luke didn't know what else to say.

“So you can leave.” Ashton was blunt and Luke felt his insides twisting uncomfortably. He didn't like this Ashton. Luke was ready to vomit when he realized that he created this Ashton.

Luke didn't move though and after a couple of minutes, Ashton sighed sadly and when he spoke again, his voice cracked.

“What do you want, Luke?” Ashton looked at the blond boy for the first time that day and Luke’s resolve broke.

“I want to apologize.” Luke said in a soft voice, not wanting to scare the other boy away.

“Nothing to apologize for.” Ashton lied as he stared down at his desk.

“I know I hurt you yesterday. I didn't mean to I’m just…I’m not a good person, Ash, but I want to be (“for you,” he tacked on mentally, but refused to say it out loud). Will you let me make it up to you?”

It was a minute or so before Ashton looked up at Luke again and nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. Luke smiled at him genuinely in return.

“How can I make it up to you?” Luke asked, still smiling.

“Do you like milkshakes?”

*

Somehow, Ashton had caused Luke to completely abandon his plan of pushing the smaller boy away. Somehow, Ashton had managed to break down some of Luke’s walls, which was also how the brown haired boy somehow managed to convince Luke to take him out for ice cream after school. And somehow, the two boys ended up sitting opposite each other in a booth in a frozen yogurt shop.

Ashton sipped happily at his milkshake. “Thank you for this, Luke.”

Luke smiled again at seeing Ashton so happy and Ashton started giggling.

“What’s so funny?” Luke asked with a mouth full of frozen yogurt.

“You have a really pretty smile.” Ashton smiled shyly and looked down at his milkshake.

Luke blushed, _he actually blushed_ , and then the next words came out of his mouth so fast that he didn't have a chance to stop them. “You have a really pretty everything.”

And Luke would have been embarrassed by his sudden display of affection if it wasn't for Ashton’s reaction. The boy squirmed, like visibly squirmed, in his seat as he smiled so widely it just about split his face in half. He giggled uncontrollably and Luke couldn't help but feel _so in love_.

Eventually, Luke felt the need draw the attention away from himself, so he asked, “I see you're not wearing a flower crown today.”

Ashton’s laughter died down and Luke was concerned that he had said something wrong.

“Um yeah,” Ashton started. “I just wasn't feeling sunshiney when I woke up this morning. Besides, I know flower crowns are dumb anyway…” Ashton trailed off. Luke smiled at Ashton’s use of the word “sunshiney” (if it even is a real word), but then he frowned when he realized why Ashton was acting strange. The last time they had talked about flower crowns was when Luke was making fun of him for it.

“No, I don't think they're dumb!” Luke quickly interjected. “I mean, I used to think they were pretty stupid, but then I saw you wearing them and now I just think they're cute.”

No matter how much Luke cringed at himself for saying that, he couldn't deny that the smile that spread across Ashton’s face then was all worth it.

“So,” Luke started. “Tell me about yourself.”

“I feel like I'm being interviewed for some cheesy game show!” Ashton giggled. Luke laughed at that too.

“But if you insist.” Ashton paused and looked up at Luke, making sure he actually did want to have this conversation. Luke nodded for Ashton to continue.

“Okay, um where do I begin? I’m Ashton, obviously, and I have a younger sister and brother. I just moved to Sydney because my mom was promoted and now she’s some fancy executive or something, which meant that she had to move closer to the company’s headquarters. I'm eighteen and I really like milkshakes and flower crowns, but you already know that. Oh and I still haven’t met my soul mate. What about you?”

Luke tried not to flinch when he heard Ashton talk about not meeting his soul mate yet. He subconsciously pulled at the sleeve of his leather jacket, making sure that it wouldn't roll up and reveal the flower tattoo.

“Uh, well, yeah you know I’m Luke and uh I have two older brothers. I'm seventeen and I have a dog named Molly.”

“I have a dog too! Her name’s Indie. You could come meet her! And bring Molly too! Indie doesn't have any friends in Sydney yet.”

As the conversation continued, Luke constantly found himself thinking that Ashton is just _way too cute_. Seriously, how is this boy even real? Luke thought the way Ashton talked was adorable. He used a lot of wild hand gestures and his voice would get louder when he was talking about something he was passionate about, but then he would realize he was being too loud so he'd speak quietly again and giggle out a “sorry.” Luke didn't mind, though. Ashton could be as loud as he wanted to and Luke wouldn’t have any problem with it. He just enjoyed listening to the boy talk about anything and everything and for once, Luke found himself willing to contribute to the conversation. There was something about Ashton and the way that he was so easy to talk to that caused Luke to open up around him.

“What about yours?” Ashton asked, pulling Luke out of his thoughts.

“Uh, sorry what?”

“Your soul mate tattoo.” Ashton said.

Luke’s eyebrows furrowed together. “What about it?”

“What does it look like?”

“Oh uhhh…” _It’s now or never, Luke._ “I don't…have one.” _Shit._

“Oh. I-I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I mean, it kind of sucks, but I accepted it.” _Why are you lying?! Just tell him!_ “What about yours, Ash?”

Ashton flipped his arm over and pointed at the little penguin tattoo. Luke studied it as if he hadn't already seen it.

“Hmm, maybe your soul mate lives at the North Pole. Maybe your soul mate is Santa Claus!” Luke tried to joke, but he was nervous.

“Do you like penguins?” Ashton asked suddenly.

“Uh, no. Like, they're cute, I guess, but they're not my favorite animal or anything."  _Except that I love penguins with all my heart and they are my favorite animal in the entire world._

“Oh.” Ashton looked sad when he heard that and Luke’s heart sunk down in his chest.

“You'll find your soul mate one day, Ash. Don’t worry about it right now.” Luke tried to make the smaller boy feel better.

It must have worked because Ashton smiled again. “You're right, Lukey! I’ll find them eventually.”

Luke’s heart fluttered at the nickname.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm 100% convinced that this chapter is absolute garbage. I promise I'll do better in the future.  
> I hope you're enjoying the story so far. If you have any feedback, questions, or suggestions please comment below!  
> Thanks for taking the time to read this fic! You're all wonderful people and I hope that you're having a great day wherever you are!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry there was a bit of a delay between updates. I haven't been feeling well the past few days and it was kind of difficult to write when I felt like I was dying.  
> This chapter is all fluff btw so I hope you enjoy!

Ashton was genuinely happy. He had already been attracted to Luke (how could you not be?), but hanging out with him after school made him realize that there was much more to Luke than just a pretty face. Luke was shy and liked to keep his thoughts to himself, but Ashton found that he would open up more when he was talking about something that he was passionate about, like music. Luke and Ashton talked for hours about music. Even when they left the frozen yogurt shop, they exchanged numbers and spent the majority of the night texting each other. Ashton tried his hardest to stay awake and continue to talk to Luke, but he eventually was the one to fall asleep first.

He fell asleep with a smile on his face.

If Ashton was happy, then Luke was _freaking ecstatic_. He never expected to make a friend, not after he spent years of being rude to people and shutting himself off from the outside world. So no, he never expected to make a new friend, especially not some tan, dimply God-like person who also happened to be just about the sweetest person in the entire world.

Luke felt light, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders and he could finally breathe. And for the first time in a long time, Luke was actually looking forward to going to school. He couldn't wait to see a certain curly-haired boy who filled his day with laughter and sunshine.

When Luke walked into history that morning, he was greeted by a dimpled smile. During class, Ashton spent most of his time turning around in his seat to make a silly face at Luke. Eventually Luke joined in the shorter boy’s game and the two boys made embarrassing faces at each other for the remainder of the class. Ashton couldn't focus on the history lesson he was supposed to be taking notes for because he was too caught up in the way Luke would cross his eyes and puff out his lips whenever Ashton turned around to look at him. By the end of the class, Ashton’s face hurt from smiling so much.

While everyone was filing out of the room at the end of class, Ashton walked right up to the bad boy and asked him if he would like to eat lunch with him and his friends.

“Uh I dunno, Ash…” Luke wanted to spend his time with Ashton, but also spending time with Ashton’s friends was a bit out of his comfort zone.

“C’mon, Luke! You sit all by yourself.”

“Did it ever occur to you that maybe I want to sit by myself?”

Ashton paused at that because no, that didn't occur to him, but he wasn't going to give up so easily. “Just for one day? And you’ll like my friends, too. I promise they're pretty cool.”

“I don’t think your friends will like me.” Luke wasn't lying. He knew for a fact that Calum hated him.

“Please, Lukey. For me?” Ashton brought out the big guns when he said that and he gave Luke his most innocent look and pouted his lips. He _pouted_ and Luke was so gone.

And Luke wanted to say no. He knew it wouldn't be a good idea for Luke and Calum to be sitting at the same table, but Ashton looked too irresistible. He also couldn't deny the fact that the nickname Ashton gave him made a volcano of butterflies erupt in his stomach. So Luke agreed against his better judgment.

“I just have to drop some stuff off at my locker.” Luke said, holding up the textbook and notebook he was carrying.

“That’s okay. I'll walk with you!”

And that’s how the bad boy and the flower child ended up walking side-by-side through the school hallways, talking and laughing about anything and everything. People stared at the two of them, not truly believing that Luke Hemmings, _the_ Luke Hemmings, was actually smiling. Neither boy took notice of the strangers’ stares, each too focused on the boy walking next to him.

That’s how they arrived at the cafeteria, too. They were too absorbed in each other to notice that Ashton almost walked completely passed Calum and Michael.

“Ash!”

The curly haired boy looked away from Luke’s baby blue eyes when he heard a familiar voice call his name.

“Oh hey, Calum! Didn't see you there.” Ashton giggled as he took his seat across from the raven haired boy. Ashton looked up at Luke expectantly and Luke remembered _oh yeah, I’m sitting with Ash today_ so he sat down in the seat next to him and right across from Michael.

“Ashton,” Calum’s voice was calm and emotionless when he spoke.

“Yeah?” Ashton replied with a mouth full of turkey sandwich.

“What is he doing here?” Calum didn't even look in Luke’s direction.

“I asked him to sit with us.”

“Why?” Calum was getting more irritated with each passing second.

“Because he’s my friend.” Ashton argued back. He felt the need to protect his boy. (Did he just say _his_ boy? Luke. He meant Luke.)

“He’s not your friend.” Calum was practically growling at this point and Michael put his hand on top of his boyfriend’s and rubbed circles into it with his thumb.

“Yes he is.” Ashton whined like a stubborn child. “He took me out for ice cream yesterday.”

Calum looked as if he was ready to kill. He slowly turned his head towards the blond boy who had been smart enough to keep his mouth shut so far.

“You took him for ice cream?”

Luke just nodded.

If looks could kill, Calum would have killed Luke six times over. “Didn't I tell you to stay away from Ashton?” Calum said through gritted teeth.

Ashton gasped. “You what?”

“I told him to stay away from you.”

“Why?” Ashton's tone was sharper than it normally was.

“I was just looking out for you!” Calum couldn't understand how Ashton could consider Luke to be a friend, especially after the hurtful things Luke had said to him. But then Calum noticed that Ashton wasn't responding. He wasn't even looking at Calum and the dark haired boy couldn't believe what was actually happening. “Ash, are you mad at me?”

Ashton didn’t respond. He just picked at the remainder of his sandwich.

“Ash, come on!” Now Calum was the one who was whining.

Ashton still refused to look at his friend. He was embarrassed about what Calum had said to Luke.

“Ashton,” Calum kept complaining, but Ashton didn't want to hear it. He knew he really didn't have a good reason to be mad at Calum, but he was mortified by the fact that Calum had said something (which probably wasn't very nice) to Luke and that he told Luke to stay away from Ashton. Ashton was glad that Luke didn't listen.

“Ashton,” his voice was called again, but this time it was a deep, gravelly tone and _this_ was a voice he could respond to. He looked up to meet Luke’s blue steel. “Your friends were just trying to protect you. Hell, even I wanted to beat myself up for what I said to you so I don't blame Calum.”

“You don’t?” Ashton and Calum asked at the same time.

Luke just smirked at the three boys sitting at the table (even if Michael had kept quiet throughout the conversation, he was still clearly just as shocked as the other two boys were). “Nah, you seem like a cool enough guy. You just really care about your friends. I’m not gonna hold any grudges cause you were being a good friend.” And with that, Luke dove into the sandwich that (his mother) packed him for lunch and the conversation was shifted towards other topics. Calum glared at Luke and Ashton just smiled fondly at the blond.

The rest of lunch passed easily. Calum may not like Luke, but he seemed to appreciate the effort he was putting into being Ashton’s friend. The only other time during that lunch period that Calum wanted to kill Luke was when the blue-eyed boy innocently asked Michael if he could talk. Luke didn't know that Michael was just extraordinarily shy around new people and after Luke apologized to both Michael and Calum for not knowing any better, the incident was seemingly forgotten. Towards the end of lunch, Luke felt a smaller body press against his and he looked down to meet the most beautiful pair of hazel eyes.

“You okay, Ash?” Luke asked while trying desperately to hide the smile that was beginning to appear on his face.

Ashton gave a little yawn as a response. “Just tired. This okay, Lukey?” He asked as he snuggled into the taller boy.

“Yeah, Ash. As long as you're comfortable.” Luke couldn't fight the smile anymore as he looked at Ashton curled into his side.

And that’s how Luke found himself in the middle of the cafeteria. Students were staring and gawking and Calum didn't look too pleased with how Ashton was cuddled against Luke, but Luke didn't care. He had the boy of his dreams curled up against him and if Luke really wanted to (which he did _really_ want to, but he restrained himself) he could lean down and press a sweet kiss to the shorter boy’s forehead.

*  
Luke didn't know how it happened. He didn't know how Ashton had managed to break down his walls, but he felt something in him change whenever he was with the hazel eyed boy. For the first time in years, Luke felt happy. He felt like he was floating. Whenever he saw Ashton his heart would beat quickly and his palms would get sweaty and he felt warm and tingly all over.

He felt like this right now, seeing as he was currently lying on Ashton’s bed. The smaller boy had somehow convinced Luke to hang out with him after school again, except this was much different from the last time they hung out. When they got ice cream together, they were sitting across from each other, talking to each other between mouthfuls of dairy and there was a table separating them. There was nothing separating them right now, though. The two boys were cuddling together on Ashton’s bed. Luke was lying on his back and Ashton had his head resting in the crook of Luke's neck. They were closer than they had ever been and Luke was fully aware of the way Ashton’s honey curls were tickling his skin and the way Ashton’s large hands were tracing random patterns across Luke’s chest. There was no conversation this time. They were just content being with each other.

Every one of Luke’s senses was overcome by _Ashton_. _Ashton’s hair_ and how soft it felt when Luke ran his fingers through it. _Ashton’s skin_ and how warm it was, like the boy naturally radiated heat. _Ashton’s hands_ and how Luke wanted to reach out and entwine their fingers. _Ashton's nose_ and how it felt pressed lightly against Luke's neck. Even _Ashton’s room_ and how it smelled like vanilla thanks to the candle that Ashton had lighted.

Everything was _Ashton_ and Luke never wanted that to change.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured that I tortured you all enough with all the angst and the lies so I figured I would give you some sweet moments.  
> Thanks for waiting patiently for the update and thanks for reading it!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry there was a bit of a delay with this update. There were several different directions I could have gone in with this chapter and I wanted to take the time and make sure that what I was doing was right.

Ashton couldn't believe what was happening. He was laying in his bed with _Luke_ and they were _cuddling_. Ashton knew enough about the blond boy to know that Luke doesn't do this. He doesn't let anyone in, let alone cuddles and flirts with them. But at this particular moment, with Luke’s arms around him and one of his hands softly running through Ashton’s curls, Ashton can't bring himself to think of anything that isn’t Luke. The way Luke smells, the way he sighs contently when Ashton snuggles further into him, the way he feels underneath him. That gets Ashton thinking about how the taller boy would actually feel _underneath_ him (and now Ashton isn't thinking about just cuddling Luke anymore). But Ashton really doesn't want to get too turned on when he’s lying so close to Luke like this. This is an innocent moment between two friends and Ashton does not want to ruin it with his hormonal teenage boy brain. So he tries to distract himself by tracing the tattoos that run up and down Luke’s arms.

Luke has a lot of tattoos and the more Ashton studies them, the more he loves them. It seems to Ashton that Luke has a tattoo for everything. He has tattoos of song lyrics and band logos and pop culture icons and movies and Ashton falls a little bit more in love with Luke because he has an entire world of everything that he loves tattooed right on his arms and Ashton thinks that’s magical. Luke seems to be in a daze as Ashton continues to trace the tattoos on his arm. Ashton is lightly tracing one right after another and the comforting feeling of having Ashton’s warm skin moving against his is putting Luke to sleep. But then the feeling stops and Luke lets out a _very manly_ whine to let the other boy know that it is not okay that he has stopped touching Luke (even though Ashton’s whole body is practically on top of Luke at this point).

“What’s this tattoo?” Ashton asked quietly, not wanting to speak loudly and disturb the peaceful silence that had fallen between the two boys.

Luke didn't even bother opening his eyes when he responded. “Which one?”

“The flower.” Ashton said as he began running his fingers softly over the purple flower that caught his attention. “This one is my favorite. It’s pretty.” Ashton practically whispered, not wanting to insult Luke by calling his tattoo “pretty.”

Luke’s mind was racing a mile a minute. He tried his best not to panic because then Ashton would definitely know something was wrong and Luke didn't want to have to explain _oh yeah, you're actually my soul mate I just didn’t know how to tell you_. So he tries to stay calm when he replies, “oh, uh, I got that for my mom.”

Ashton smiles sweetly and softly up at Luke and the curly haired boy can't help but think about how misunderstood Luke is and how he’s actually the most amazing guy on the planet. But Luke immediately felt guilty. He knew what Ashton was thinking and he felt horrible for lying to the boy and for leading him on. Like a tidal wave, Luke’s feelings came crashing down on him. He was suddenly angry with himself for not sticking to his original plan. He should have pushed the other boy away. They shouldn't be together right now and they definitely should not be sharing a sweet moment like this. This should be reserved for someone who could actually give Ashton everything he could ever want and Luke would never be that person. Luke couldn't commit. He had no idea how to be in a relationship. He would never be able to make this boy happy and give him everything he deserves. He could never be enough for Ashton and he was _so stupid_ for putting his guard down and letting the shorter boy in.

And that’s when Luke realized something very important.

He _loves_ Ashton.

In the short amount of time that they had gotten to know each other, Luke had fallen head over heels in love with the boy with the honey curls. He realized that he loves Ashton with all his heart and that is the reason why Luke can't do this anymore. He can't do this to the boy that he loves. He can't draw Ashton in and then have him be disappointed because Luke can't be everything he needs. He has to let him go.

Luke slowly sat up in Ashton’s bed, careful not to disturb the other boy too much. Ashton looked at him with a slight pout on his face when he realized Luke was getting out of bed.

“Sorry, Ash. I gotta get home now.” Luke’s voice was only a whisper. He was afraid that his voice would crack or waver if he talked any louder.

“Okay,” Ashton mumbled into his pillow. “I'll text you later.”

Luke was already on his way out the door of Ashton’s bedroom, but he paused before he left.

“Ash…” he started. He didn't even turn around to face the boy who was lying on the bed. “I don't think that would be a good idea.”

“Why not?” Even though he wasn't looking at the boy, Luke knew that Ashton was pouting.

What was Luke going to say? He had to think of something that would make sense to Ashton without hurting his feelings. Luke was trying to let him down easy this time. He didn't want a repeat of the last time he did this. Where he tried to push Ashton away and ended up hurting him so badly that he had a breakdown in a public restroom. Luke didn't want to hurt his boy again so he did what he does best. He lied.

“Because, Ash…” He took a deep breath. “Your soul mate is out there somewhere.”

“Okay…?” Ashton was confused about where this was going. “And?

“And I'm not him.” Luke said simply. “So we need to stop whatever this is.”

Ashton was at a loss for words, but he knew Luke was right. “Okay.”

Luke turned slightly to look at the hazel-eyed boy and smiled sadly at him. “See you around.” Then Luke walked away and left behind a very sad and confused Ashton.

*

Ashton didn't know what to do with himself for the rest of the day. After Luke left, the curly haired boy just lazed around his house. He wanted to curl up in his bed and take a nap, but he couldn't lay in his bed without thinking about Luke.

His feelings for Luke confused him. Luke had already told Ashton that he didn't have a soul mate. Admittedly, Ashton was crushed when he realized that Luke didn't have a soul mate, partly because, yes, Ashton does have feelings for Luke, but also because Ashton feels bad for Luke. No one should have to go through life without their one true love by their side. The fact that Luke didn't have anyone to call his own made Ashton very upset.

In addition to being upset for Luke, Ashton was also extraordinarily confused by the feelings he had developed for the blond boy. Was it normal to feel this way about someone who wasn't your soul mate? Ashton was _so confused_ and he had so many questions. He figured that he needed advice and he knew exactly who to go to in this situation. He would just have to wait for his mom to get home from work so he could have a heart-to-heart with her.

So Ashton sat on the couch in the living room and watched some children’s show that his younger brother had recorded while he waited for his mother to get home. Soon enough, after about three or four mind numbing episodes, Ashton heard the sound of keys catching in the lock of the front door and his mother walked in soon after.

“Hi, honey!” She greeted him cheerily.

“Hey, mum.” The tone of Ashton’s voice made his mom look over at him questioningly. She knew something was wrong by the way Ashton was slumped down against the couch, surrounded by cookie crumbs and candy wrappers.

“Got a bit of a sweet tooth there.” His mother tried to joke, but he didn't even crack a smile. He just looked down at his stomach and brushed away some crumbs.

“Okay, lovebug. What’s wrong?” She asked as she took a seat next to him on the couch.

Ashton didn't know where to begin. “Do you think…is the universe wrong sometimes?” He immediately felt a blush creep onto his cheeks then because, yes the universe obviously messes up. His parents are a prime example of that.

His mom just laughed it off. “Honey, you know that it’s not always right. You've witnessed how wrong it can be first hand. But why are you asking?”

“I met this guy and I really like him…like really, _really like him_ , but he doesn't have a soul mate.” Ashton felt guilty sharing Luke’s personal information with his mom.

His mother was quiet for a bit before slowly responding. “Some things happen that are completely unexplainable and I think that’s what makes life so beautiful. You never know what to expect. One day, you're young and you think you have the whole world figured out and then a week later, you meet someone who could turn everything you know upside down. If you really like this boy as much as you say you do, then you shouldn't fight it. I have always taught you to follow your heart and if this is where your heart is leading you, then you must follow.”

Ashton let his mother’s words sink in for a moment. He knew that she was right, honestly, she always was right, but he couldn't shake the nagging fear inside of him. “What if I get hurt?” His voice sounded small, like a child’s.

“There’s always that possibility, but taking the chance is always worth it. One day, when you are thirty you might stop and ask yourself _‘what if?’_ and that’s not something you ever want to do. You never want to have regrets like that.” Anne’s voice was wistful and she met Ashton’s gaze with watery eyes. “Promise me you'll do whatever it takes to make you happy.”

Ashton swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. He didn't know where his mother’s thoughts had wandered to, but he could tell that she was currently reliving a much happier time. Looking at his mother, he realized that he didn't want to be in her position when he was older. He didn't want to have explain to his own child what it felt like to have a long lost love. He didn't want to have any regrets. He didn't want his future to be haunted by the ghost of a missed opportunity. And in the midst of all the things he didn't want, he realized that there was one thing he _did_ want.

Luke Hemmings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk does anyone even like this story anymore?  
> As always, thanks for reading. Your comments and feedback are also very appreciated!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mild smut ahead.  
> Also, I'm sorry for what you're about to read. It's slightly unedited and very heart breaking.  
> If there are any mistakes, please tell me so I can correct them.

Luke looked down the length of his bed and admired the way the mop of honey curls fell into the other boy’s face as he leaned forward. The blond boy was having trouble breathing properly. He was too focused on the shorter boy’s movements. Luke was so intent on watching the way a large pair of hands slowly made their way up his bare thighs, how one of those hands eventually wrapped around the base of Luke’s throbbing member and how a soft pair of lips began teasing the tip. Eventually a tongue poked out between those beautiful lips and Luke shuddered at the feeling of a warm, wet mouth encasing his cock.

“Ashton,” Luke moaned as he fisted his hands in the other boy’s hair.

Ashton worked his way up and down Luke’s shaft, making eye contact when the blond boy was about to release down his throat. Luke felt himself getting closer, the warmth in his abdomen spreading throughout his groin. He was a panting, moaning mess above Ashton. He bucked his hips up slightly because he was greedy and wanted even more friction on his cock, wanted to feel the other boy choking on his length. His wish was granted when the hazel-eyed boy began gagging; his throat closing even tighter around Luke and the blond was just about to let himself go when a knock on the door caused him to bolt up in bed.

Luke looked around the room, unsure of his surroundings. He immediately looked down at his bed and noticed the absence of a certain curly haired boy. It was just a dream, _a really good dream_ , but Luke couldn’t help the disappointment he felt when he woke up alone in his bed with a raging hard-on.

“Honey?” Luke’s mom asked from outside the door. “Can I come in?”

“Uh yeah, just a minute!” Luke called as he threw on a pair of pants and sat back down in his bed with his blanket placed discreetly over his lap. “Come in!”

Luke’s mom made her way into his room and set some laundry down on his dresser. “Do you have any plans this weekend, dear?”

“No, not really.” Luke shrugged.

“Then I want you to spend some time with your brother’s. You can’t stay cooped up in your room all day.”

Luke knew that the only way to get rid of his mom quickly was to go along with whatever she was saying. “Okay, yeah sure. I’ll talk to Jack later and we can do something together.”

Liz smiled at her son before turning around and exiting his bedroom. Luke was so desperate that he had his hand down his pants before his mom could even shut the door all the way.

*

Luke was a horny mess all day. He got himself off once he was alone in his room again, but it wasn’t enough. Every time he thought of Ashton, his cock would twitch and swell in his pants. His hand just wasn’t cutting it today. But what could he do? He couldn’t exactly call Ashton and tell him to come over, especially after the conversation the two boys had the day before. Ashton was done with Luke. He had agreed to put distance between the two and Luke didn’t want to go back on his plan again just because he was horny.

He was sprawled out on his bed, scrolling through the contacts in his phone. He stared at Ashton’s name for a while before he shook his head and continued down the list. He paused when he came across one name in particular. Ethan. Luke met Ethan about a year ago at a party. Ethan was an older boy, a college student, but he took a liking to Luke almost immediately. Ethan was one of those people who didn’t care about his soul mate until he would actually meet them. Until then, he figured there was no point playing the waiting game and so he hooked up with anything that had nice legs and a pulse. The good thing about Ethan was that he wasn’t looking for anything other than sex and Luke was more than willing to let the older boy have his way with him.

Luke knew that the problem in his pants wasn’t going away any time soon. He decided that the best way to get over Ashton was to get under someone else, so he dialed Ethan’s number and waited for the other boy to pick up.

*

Ashton woke up on that Saturday morning feeling refreshed. His mother’s advice comforted him and he decided to take her words to heart. And so he decided that today was the day that Ashton would ask Luke out on an official date.

He made his way downstairs and skipped into the kitchen and was greeted by his younger brother and sister.

“Good morning, Harry!” Ashton tousled his brother’s hair.

“Mornin’, Lauren!” He bent down to give her a quick peck on the top of her head.

“Well someone’s in a good mood today!” His mother said from the stove with a knowing look on her face.

“Just feeling happy today,” Ashton said as he took a portion of eggs and bacon that his mom made for breakfast.

“You’re always happy,” Lauren giggled.

“Yeah,” Harry agreed. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you sad.”

Ashton smiled at that and then laughed when Lauren said, “You’re like the sun!”

“How am I like the sun?”

“Cause you always brighten up everyone’s day,” his mom added as she finally sat down at the table and served herself some breakfast.

Ashton blushed at his family’s kind words, but he had to admit that this conversation put him in an even better mood than before. He felt confident in himself. And his confidence combined with his elated state of mind made him feel indestructible, like nothing could possibly go wrong.

*

Ashton felt like he was on top of the world as he was driving to Luke’s house. He had never been to the blond boy’s house before, but Luke had told him the street that he lived on during one of the times they were hanging out together. Ashton figured he was in the right place when he saw a neat, wooden sign hanging in the front yard with the name “Hemmings” painted on it in black, cursive letters.

Ashton parked against the curb in front of their house. He didn’t want to be rude and take up the whole driveway, especially since he was coming over unannounced. In his defense, he had texted Luke, but Ashton never got a response back, which he told himself was a good sign that meant that Luke was probably still asleep at home. As Ashton was making his way up to the front door, he suddenly became very nervous. What if Luke rejected him? Ashton couldn’t handle losing Luke for good, he loved him too much and knew that the end of their friendship would most definitely be the end of him. But he managed to push those fears aside and knock on the door before he could change his mind. After a few seconds, a boy answered the door and Ashton had to do a double-take because he looked so similar to Luke, except this boy was clearly older and his features were just a little more defined than Luke’s. Ashton decided it was one of Luke’s older brothers, but he didn’t know which one.

“Uh, hi? I’m…hey” Ashton’s nerves were getting the better of him.

“Can I help you?” The boy’s tone was harsh and Ashton blushed because he had already managed to make a fool out of himself and he hadn’t even stepped through the door yet.

Ashton took a deep breath and tried again. “I’m Ashton, one of Luke’s friends. Is he home?”

The other boy’s eyes narrowed when Ashton said the word “friends,” immediately feeling suspect of this person on his front porch. But the boy, Jack, figured that Ashton looked pretty harmless so he decided to let him in.

“He’s upstairs in his room. I think he might still be asleep though ‘cause he hasn’t come out all day.”

“Okay, thank you.” Ashton smiled politely as he began making his way up the stairs. He was about halfway up when he realized he didn’t know which room was Luke’s, but he would be too embarrassed to bother Luke’s brother again so he just kept walking. As Ashton began walking down the hallway, he noticed that one of the bedroom doors was opened. He quickly peeked into the room and saw the room was too large and too organized to be one of the boy’s rooms so he continued on, not wanting to be caught creeping into other people’s bedrooms. Ashton came to a stop in front of the next door he came across, which was the first door on the right side of the hallway. His breath hitched in his throat when he thought he heard someone on the other side of the door say Luke’s name. Ashton raised his hand and knocked on the door. He waited a few seconds, but never got an answer so he decided to open the door a bit to see into the room.

But what Ashton saw was not what he was expecting to see. There was a dark-haired man kneeling on the bed with his pants and boxers hanging down on his thighs. His body was jerking forward almost as if he was… _oh my god he’s having sex_. Ashton couldn’t help the shocked little gasp that came out of him, but the dark-haired man turned at the sound and made direct eye contact with a terrified Ashton.

“Shit!” The man said and made an effort to cover himself. And that was when Ashton noticed the person underneath the man. From the place where Ashton was standing, he couldn’t see the other person who was in the bed with the dark-haired boy, until Luke propped himself up on his elbows, looking very sweaty and worn out, and looked around the man to see Ashton. Luke looked almost as terrified as Ashton was. The blond quickly sat up and pushed the other guy off of him.

“What the hell, Luke!” The other boy yelled.

“Get out, Ethan.”

“Are you serious?” The other boy, Ethan, sounded angry.

“Yes, please, Ethan. Please leave.” Luke begged him.

“Fuck this. This is the last time you call me for one of your booty calls.” Ethan spat as he rushed to put his clothes back on. He ran out the door only a few seconds later, purposely bumping shoulders with Ashton. The smaller boy stumbled back a little bit, but caught himself on the doorframe.

Ashton wanted to leave. He wanted to run as far as he could and get the image of Luke and another man out of his head, but he couldn’t. It felt like he was frozen to the floor.

“Ashton…” Luke choked out, still slightly out of breath from his previous activities.

Ashton just shook his head and looked at the floor.

“Ashton, please look at me.”

Ashton lifted his gaze, but he still refused to meet Luke’s eyes. Instead, the brown-haired boy pretended to be very interested in Luke’s room. Luke was putting his clothes on and pleading Ashton to talk to him, but Ashton wasn’t in the mood to talk. Ashton slowly blinked back tears as he examined the room in front of him. It was exactly how he pictured Luke’s room would look. There were posters on the walls and cds and dvds stuffed into shelves. There was a keyboard set up by Luke’s desk, which was littered with papers and magazines. And there was a guitar resting against a stuffed animal on the floor. There was sheet music spread out on the floor in front of the guitar. Ashton cocked his head at the sight. There was something familiar about the scene in front of him.

“I thought you didn’t like penguins?” was the first thing Ashton had said to Luke since he opened the door.

“What? What are you talking about?” Luke was more than confused at the moment.

“The other day when we were talking about our soul mate tattoos, you told me that you didn’t like penguins.” Ashton explained.

“What’s that got to do with anything?” Luke was getting irritated. Why the hell was Ashton talking about penguins at this particular moment?

Ashton just pointed to the corner of Luke’s room. The blond boy turned around and looked, but he was still confused.

“My guitar?”

Ashton just shook his head.

Luke looked again and noticed that his guitar was resting on top of a giant stuffed penguin that he got for his birthday when he was eight. But Luke was still confused. He didn’t know why Ashton was making such a big deal of it.

“My soul mate tattoo,” Ashton quietly said. “It’s a penguin with a music note inside of it. Your guitar is resting on a stuffed penguin, surrounded by sheet music. I met you in _music class!_ ” Ashton started talking louder as all the pieces fell together. “All these things I was feeling for you! They all make sense now. You’re my soul mate aren’t you?”

Luke was quiet for a moment before he finally responded. “Yes.” His voice sounded small and broken, but Ashton still heard the simple admission.

“You’re my soul mate and you don’t even want to be with me…” Ashton started crying.

“It’s not like that, Ash-”

“Don’t! I don’t want to hear it!” Ashton yelled as he began running away from Luke’s room. He stumbled down the stairs, the tears in his eyes causing his surroundings to become blurry and he almost tripped and fell at one point but he didn’t care.

Luke was chasing after Ashton. “Ash, just let me explain!”

“No!” Ashton was sobbing and screaming so loudly that the whole neighborhood probably heard him.

“What the hell is going on?” Jack met the two boys at the bottom of the stairs.

Luke grabbed onto Ashton’s wrist and tried to pull him back towards him, but Ashton yanked himself free.

“Stay away from me, Luke! I hate you!” Ashton cried. And with that, he pushed himself passed Jack and out the door. Luke just stood frozen in place as he watched Ashton go.

Ashton ran to his car and drove away at top speed, trying to put as much distance between himself and Luke. He figured the farther he drove, the less it would hurt and he would drive to the end of the Earth if it meant he would forget Luke Hemmings.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope everyone is enjoying this fic as much as I am writing it! I absolutely love all your feedback so thanks to everyone who comments!  
> Also, if you have any suggestions for any other fic that I could do in the future, please comment or message me on tumblr. I really want to write a malum one but I don't have any ideas for it so far.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter jumps around a little and I want to clear it up now so I don't confuse anyone. Ashton's portion of the chapter takes place about an hour or two after he ran out of Luke's house. Luke's portion of the chapter takes place immediately after Ashton leaves. I'm sure you all could figure that out for yourselves but, like I said, I didn't want any confusion.  
> Also, nothing really major happens between Luke and Ashton. This chapter is basically setting things up for the plot in the next couple chapters.

Ashton didn't drive as far away as he wanted to. In fact, he had to actually pull over to the side of the road because his tears caused his vision to become completely skewed. He tried to pull himself together, but eventually he ended up reaching for his phone. He pressed the ignore button when he saw that Luke was calling him and dialed Calum’s number instead.

“Hey, Ash!” Calum’s voice rang out loudly from the other end.

“H-hey, Cal…” Calum could hear Ashton sniffling through the phone.

“What’s wrong?” Calum’s tone was more predatory than sympathetic.

“I need y-you. Something happened and I just n-need someone to talk to.” Ashton was sobbing again.

“Where are you?” It sounded like Calum was making his way out the door and Ashton could hear Michael in the background asking what was going on.

“I'm pulled off on the side of the road…I passed the gas station about five miles back.” Truth be told, Ashton didn't know exactly where he was. He was just driving aimlessly through the streets of Sydney until he apparently reached the outskirts of the city. Now he was lost and he didn't even know if Calum could find him, but he honestly didn't care if he was left to die alone on the side of the road. Part of him didn't want to be found, but soon enough, a car was pulling off to the side right behind Ashton and a flash of tan skin and dark hair was all the hazel eyed boy could see before his friend was shoving him over to the passenger seat. Calum slid behind the steering wheel of Ashton’s car and began pulling away from the side of the road. Michael was driving Calum’s car behind them and the three of them eventually made it back to Calum’s house.

The ride back was quiet, except for Ashton’s sobs. Calum tried numerous times to get the curly haired boy to tell him what happened, but Ashton refused. He couldn't talk about it right now, he just wanted his friend’s company. So Calum just let him cry it out for the rest of the ride. When they got back to Calum’s house, Ashton found himself being lead up the stairs and then a set of pale arms wrapped around him and pulled him down onto the bed. Ashton hid his face in Michael’s neck as the red haired boy ran his hands soothingly up and down his friend's back. Calum climbed into his bed right behind them and Ashton soon found himself in the middle of a cuddle session.

Michael waited for Ashton’s sobs to quiet down before he finally spoke. “Hey, Ash, what happened?”

Ashton just snuggled further into his friend and Calum tightened his hold on the smaller boy.

“It’s okay, peach. You don't have to talk about it right now. We just want to help you.” Michael’s voice was soft and comforting and Ashton just wanted to fall asleep listening to it.

“It’s L-Luke,” Ashton couldn't say the blond boy’s name without a sob tearing through his chest.

Ashton felt Calum tense behind him. “What did he do now?” Calum said through gritted teeth.

Ashton was quiet for a couple of minutes. The silence seemed to drag on forever and Michael and Calum could hardly stand the suspense. The two boyfriends locked eyes above Ashton’s head and were seemingly having some sort of silent conversation. Calum was ready to spring out of bed and beat the life out of Luke Hemmings, while Michael just shook his head. Whatever happened needs to be resolved between Ashton and Luke. Michael was always the sensible one.

Ashton finally spoke again after what seemed like hours to the other two boys. They both had to lean in closer to hear what Ashton was saying.

“He’s my soul mate.”

*

Luke watched with a heavy heart as Ashton raced away from him. He wanted to go after his boy, but he knew there was no way of catching up with him on his bike, so he sank down onto the bottom step and put his head in his hands. His brother, Jack, was still standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking rather dumbly between his little brother and the space where Ashton’s car had been parked.

“What the hell just happened?” Jack asked.

Luke just shook his head, the tears now freely falling from his eyes.

His brother noticed he was crying and sat down next to him. “Luke. Who was that kid?”

“Ashton,” Luke whined as if the brown haired boy was still within hearing distance.

“Who is he though? Is he a friend...?” Jack was desperately trying to put the pieces together.

“He’s my soul mate.” Luke whispered.

“What?!” Did his little brother just say what Jack thinks he just said? But that’s impossible. Luke doesn't have a soul mate. He never got his tattoo…

That’s when Jack turned to study his brother. Luke was still shirtless and that allowed Jack to notice a tattoo he had never seen on Luke before. It was a purple flower and Jack couldn't help but think that it looked like one of the flowers Ashton had in his hair.

“You got your tattoo.” Jack couldn't believe this was actually happening. He was so happy for his little brother. “Why didn't you tell us?” When Ben and Jack each got their tattoos, they immediately rushed into their parent’s room and showed Liz and Andy. Jack was confused about why Luke kept his hidden.

Luke sighed. “Because I knew this would happen. I knew I would mess it up. I tried so hard to push him away because I thought that’s what I wanted, but now that he’s gone, I realize that I don't want that anymore.” Luke was crying hard at this point. “I love him.”

Luke allowed himself to be pulled into his brother’s arms. “Shhh it’s okay, Luke. It’s okay.” Jack was trying to comfort his brother the only way he knew how. He hugged Luke against his chest and he was surprised when his younger brother hugged him back. They sat like that on the bottom step for a while, Luke in Jack’s arms, clinging onto him for dear life while Jack rocked the two of them back and forth. Enough time eventually passed for Luke to clear his head. His mind was racing while his older brother was comforting him and Luke finally made up his mind.

He realized that he wanted to have a relationship with Ashton, but he was afraid that he realized that too late. Ashton probably hated him now. This wasn't like the other time where Luke had messed up and Ashton had forgiven him because that was the thing about Ashton, he was just a genuinely _nice_ person. He was the kind of guy that gave people second chances even when they didn't deserve them. But what about third chances? Will Luke have another opportunity to make it up to Ashton or did he really push the other boy away for good this time? The thought of Luke never seeing Ashton again scared the blond boy so much that fresh tears began to fall. Luke pressed his hands against his eyes and willed himself to stop crying.

"I n-need to get him back." Luke choked out. His brother just rubbed his back soothingly.

Luke felt his heart beat racing and his vision became blurry. He couldn't control the way his mouth was opening and closing like a fish and how he was unintentionally taking in huge gulps of air. Luke was having a panic attack. His head was pounding and the room was spinning. Luke was pretty sure the walls were closing in on him. He couldn't breathe properly and he was shaking uncontrollably. He heard his brother's voice and even though Luke knew that Jack was only a few inches away from him, his voice sounded like he was way off in the distance. Luke shut his eyes and let the panic overcome him.  _This is what I deserve. This is what I get for breaking that beautiful boy's heart and now the universe is punishing me_.

While Luke was slowly slipping into unconsciousness, Jack was freaking out. He was trying to get Luke to open his eyes and talk to him, but the only response he got from his brother was his ragged, strained breathing.

 _"I can't lose him,"_ was the last thing Luke muttered before he went limp in his brother's arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow Luke's such a drama queen idk why I wrote him this way. He's not dead, btw. I don't want anyone to think that he's dying. He just had a horrible panic attack which caused him to black out.  
> Thank you for reading! It means too much to me that so many people are actually reading (and hopefully enjoying) this fic! Please feel free to comment and let me know what you think!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long to update. My semester started again at college (or uni or whatever you call it where you live) so it will probably take me a little while to update between chapters. I'll try to do about one a week, but there are no guarantees.

Ashton stayed at Calum’s house for the rest of the weekend. He didn't want to go home and face his mother. He didn't want his brother and sister to see his tear streaked face and his puffy eyes. He didn't want his family to see how their sunshine had transformed into a rain cloud.

His heart was broken. He felt the shards of his heart all throughout his chest and even down into his stomach. He had never felt so miserable in his life. He had accidentally walked in on his soul mate sharing an intimate moment with another person. That was supposed to be him on top of Luke. That was supposed to be him with his pants down around his ankles, moaning Luke’s name. That was all supposed to be reserved just for him, but it wasn't and Ashton felt betrayed. He would have thought that his soul mate would have had the decency to wait for him so they could share that special moment together, but Luke didn't wait for him and it was with another pang in his heart that Ashton realized that Luke didn't wait for him because Luke didn't want him. Ashton stayed curled up in Calum’s bed all weekend. He long ago gave up trying to stop the river of tears that poured consistently from his eyes. And that’s how Ashton spent his weekend, crying over someone who would never love him back.

*

Luke debated whether or not he should go after Ashton. He had a long talk with his brother and even his parents got involved ( _oh god how embarrassing is that?_ ) and he decided to give Ashton some space. His mother made a valid point of saying that Ashton probably needed some time to fully process what had happened and that he needed to think about the fact that Luke is his soul mate. So Luke decided that he would let Ashton have the weekend, but then he would talk to him on Monday. Except, when Monday rolled around, Luke couldn't find Ashton. Luke thought that the shorter boy was avoiding him (which was completely understandable).

And while Ashton was avoiding Luke, Luke was trying to avoid Calum, who no doubt knew what had happened over the weekend. Luke could see the way the tan boy’s jaw was clenched tight as he scanned the halls looking for someone, looking for Luke. The blond boy swallowed past the lump in his throat as he tried desperately to not be seen by Calum. Luke knew that Calum would show no mercy this time. It’s not like he didn't deserve it, because he did, he just wanted to find Ashton first so they could have this very serious conversation without Luke having several broken bones.

The day was passing slowly and Ashton never came to history, which made Luke upset because that was the one class that they had together without Calum and Luke knew that he wouldn't be able to get within ten feet of the curly haired boy if Calum was around. As the day wore on, Luke was beginning to think that Ashton didn't come to school at all. He knew that there were only two people who he could ask about Ashton’s whereabouts – Calum and Michael. Luke decided on the latter because he knew that going anywhere near Calum would be disastrous for him. So he watched and waited patiently for a moment when Calum and Michael weren't together (which wasn't very often considering they were soul mates). But soon enough, Luke caught Michael kissing Calum good bye as they went their separate ways to get to their next classes and Luke took that opportunity to talk to the dyed red head.

“Michael! Wait up!” Luke called as he attempted to quickly maneuver through the crowded high school hallway.

Michael looked around with a confused look on his face, wondering who it was that had called his name. His eyes widened when they landed on Luke. Michael immediately began walking at a faster pace, trying his hardest to get away from Luke before the blond caught up with him. Unfortunately for Michael, Luke was a lot faster than he was and in no time at all, Luke was right beside him.

“Hey, Michael, can we talk?” Luke was trying to be pleasant because he knew that Michael was a very timid person. The last thing that Luke wanted was to scare him away.

“About what?” Michael asked in a small voice, not making eye contact with Luke.

“I’m sure you know about what. About Ashton.”

Michael tugged his bottom lip between his teeth. “Why do you want to talk about Ashton?” Still no eye contact.

“Mike,” Luke started before he realized that he didn't know this boy well enough to be giving him a nickname. “Michael,” he started again. “I know that you know what happened. I want to make things right, but I need to talk to Ashton and I can't do that if I don't know where he is.”

Michael was silent for a minute, debating whether or not to give in to Luke. After a moment of arguing with himself, Michael finally spoke up. “He was at Calum’s house all weekend.”

Luke winced at the thought of Calum comforting his Ashton. As if he needed any more reasons to hate the dark haired boy.

“I'm pretty sure you broke him.” Michael spoke quietly, looking up at Luke with wide eyes. “How could you do that to him?”

“I didn't mean to.”

“Yeah, well you did!” Luke was taken aback by the way Michael raised his voice at him. Apparently, the green eyed boy had found his confidence.

“What you did was horrible! You don't deserve Ashton. He’s way too good for you.”

“Trust me, Michael, I know.”

“No. You don’t know. You're a fucking idiot.”

“Michael, I -”

“No, you don't get to interrupt me. I'm not done yet. I’m only gonna say this once, Hemmings.” Michael took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose between his pointer finger and thumb. “I had nothing against you. Sure, you weren't my favorite person in the world, but I didn't know you so I tried not to judge. But you were always a jerk to me and I'm pretty sure it’s because Calum is my soul mate. I don't know why you two hate each other so much. Calum is a good person. He’s been there for Ashton more times than you ever have. But by being mean to Cal, you made me hate you. Just like you made everyone else hate you too. And now you made Ashton hate you. The one person who was willing to give you a fucking chance and love you, now hates you. And you know what the fucked up part is? I’m going to help you get him back. Because even though you're a piece of shit, you're still Ash’s soul mate and I will do anything to see my little peach happy again.”

Luke didn't know what to say. He was pretty sure that was the most that Michael had ever spoken to someone who wasn't Calum. A lot of things that Michael said were whirling through Luke’s head.

_You made Ashton hate you._

_You're_ _a piece of shit._

 _My little peach…_ Luke was jealous about that. He should be calling Ashton cute nicknames, not Michael.

 _I’m going to help you get him back_.

That last thing Michael said stuck in Luke’s head.

“Thank you, Michael.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just don’t tell Calum.”

*

Luke couldn't believe that Michael was willing to help him. To be completely honest, Luke couldn't believe a lot of things about Michael. Like the way he could very soft spoken at times, but moments later he'd practically be yelling. Luke also realized that Michael really wasn't a bad guy (but he would never admit that out loud). Luke decided that Michael’s major flaw was his douchebag of a soul mate, but Luke could look past that for the time being.

The two boys ditched school. When Luke told Michael that he needed to talk to Ashton _immediately_ , he didn't think the red head would take him so seriously. Before he knew it, Michael was leading him out of the double doors at the back of the school and they were making their way through the parking lot towards Michael’s car.

“You don't drive, right?” Michael asked as swirled his car keys around his finger.

“Well, I can, but I don't have a car.” Luke said sheepishly.

“Yeah, I've seen you riding your bike to school. Did you bring it today?”

Luke nodded.

“Then go get it. We can take it in my car so you don't have to leave it here.”

Luke just nodded again and turned on his heel in the direction of his bike. He liked how nice Michael was. He was starting to really like the boy.

Once the two of them got settled, Michael began the short drive to Ashton’s house. At least that’s where Luke thought they were going so he was confused when Michael passed the turn for Ashton’s street.

“Isn't Ashton’s house back that way?” Luke said, looking in the rearview mirror.

“We're not going to Ashton’s house.” Michael replied.

“Why not?”

“Because Ashton isn't there.” Michael said like it was something obvious and Luke should have known that.

“Where is he then?”

“He’s still at Calum’s house.”

Luke’s blood boiled. He absolutely hated Calum and the fact that Ashton made Calum’s house his refuge made him even angrier.

But before Luke could slip into any more of a rage, Michael’s car came to a stop in front of an unfamiliar house. Luke already decided that he didn't like the house just because Calum lived there.

“I’m going in with you because he'll freak out if he has to deal with you alone right now.” Michael gave Luke an apologetic smile, one that told Luke that he was sorry for intruding.

But Luke knew that Michael was right. He would never be able to get through to Ashton if he went to talk to him one-on-one. And as much as Luke hated to admit it, he knew that Ashton needed Michael there to help calm him down. Apparently, Michael had become that person for Ashton (and that made Luke both grateful and jealous at the same time).

So Luke took a deep breath and tried to compose himself. His apology for Ashton was right on the tip of his tongue and he knew it was now or never. Before he could change his mind and run away, Luke got out of the car and followed Michael into the house.

He was ready to win back his soul mate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I made you wait so long just for a filler chapter, but I thought it was necessary to set things up for the future. Luke and Ashton will finally talk things out in the next chapter and we'll have to see how things go from there, but as of right now I'm only planning on writing a few more chapters for this fic. And while this is coming to an end, I would like to start getting ideas for future fics (preferably a malum one) so if you have any ideas, you can comment below or message me on tumblr!  
> As always, thank you SO much for reading this fic! I really love writing it and I hope you guys love reading it. I would love to hear your feedback about what you thought of this chapter and what you want to happen to lashton in the last few chapters. Please comment below! It makes my day to hear from you guys!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry that this update took so long! But I made it a bit longer than the other chapters to try to make it up to everyone!

Luke followed Michael into the house with shaky hands and a rapid heart beat. The two boys ascended the stairs and soon stood in front of a bedroom door (Luke guessed it was Calum’s room). With his hand on the doorknob, Michael turned to Luke.

“Let me go in first,” he whispered. “He might still be asleep.”

Luke nodded.

Michael entered the room and left the door open a little behind him, just enough so that Luke could see a tiny sliver of the room that Ashton had sought sanctuary in.

“Ashton?” Michael’s voice was quiet and comforting as he apparently tried to wake the other boy.

Luke couldn't see much through the small opening in the doorway. All he saw was a pile of blankets on the bed.

“Ashy-washy, wake up!” Michael said in a sing-song voice.

Luke saw the pile of blankets move and a mop of curly hair peeked out from underneath.

“Mikey?” Ashton’s voice sounded small and somewhat raspy from sleeping.

“Hey, peach. How’re doing?” Michael asked.

“Is school over already?” Ashton sat up and attempted to rub the sleep (and tears) from his eyes.

“No, school isn't over yet. I just wanted to see how you were doing.”

“You ditched school?” Ashton gasped and Michael just nodded his head.

“You can get in trouble for this!”

Michael just laughed. “Relax, Ash. I'm building up my street cred.”

“Your ‘street cred’?” Ashton was laughing now too. “Your middle name is Gordon. You will never have street cred.”

“Hey!” Michael pouted. “I’m working on my bad boy image.”

Ashton stopped laughing at that and Michael immediately realized the mistake he made.

“Have you seen him?” Ashton’s voice sounded small again.

“Yeah,” Michael replied.

“And?” Ashton asked after a few moments of silence.

“And he was looking for you,” Michael said.

“Why?” Ashton was confused. Luke clearly had rejected him as his soul mate. Ashton knew Luke didn't want him, so why was he wasting his time looking for him?

“Why don't you ask him yourself?” Michael asked.

Ashton groaned. “I don't wanna talk to him, Mikey.”

“Too late,” was all Michael said before he pulled the door open all the way to reveal a very sheepish looking Luke.

Ashton stared at Luke in horror while Luke stared back at the shorter boy with a sorry expression written all over his face. Michael just stood in between them and looked slightly irritated that neither had spoken yet. With a huff, Michael turned towards Luke and said, “You begged me to take you to him so you could apologize, but now all you're doing is standing there like a fucking idiot.”

_Wow that was rude, Michael,_ Luke thought, but then realized that the dyed red-head did have a point. This was his one chance to try and make it up to Ashton and he was already ruining it. So he took a deep breath and stepped into the room, trying to ignore the way that Ashton seemed to shrink back into the blankets as Luke got closer to him.

“Ash,” Luke started, but his apology got stuck in his throat when he saw that Ashton was looking at Michael instead, pleading the other boy with his eyes to get Luke away from him, or to get him away from Luke. Ashton didn't care at the moment, he just didn't want to be stuck in a room with the person who broke his heart.

Michael sighed and gave the curly haired boy an apologetic smile. “Just listen to what he has to say alright? I'll be right down the hall if you need me.”

Ashton hesitated, but then nodded his head. He trusted Michael and if Michael wanted him to listen to Luke, then he would listen to Luke (and try to ignore the way the shards of his broken heart twisted uncomfortably in his stomach when Luke began talking again).

“We need to talk,” was all Luke managed to say at first. He cleared his throat. He was so damn nervous.

“I owe you an explanation,” the blond boy started again and Ashton nodded his head furiously at this because yeah, Ashton _deserved_  a fucking explanation.

The words were right on the tip of Luke’s tongue, but he couldn't bring himself to say them yet. He wanted so badly to lie to the other boy like he had done in the past, but he knew that that was the reason why he was in this situation – trying to apologize to his soul mate who had red and puffy eyes from all the tears that he spilled.

Luke took a good look at Ashton. He observed the dark circles under his eyes and the way his eyes looked glassy due to the constant stream of tears that was always threatening to pour out of his eyes. Luke noticed the way Ashton’s lips were chapped and how the left side of his bottom lip was more swollen than the rest of his lips because of the way the hazel-eyed boy would worriedly chew at it when he was upset. He noticed how Ashton’s curly hair was flat on one side of his head from all the sleeping he did over the weekend, and also how Ashton had a trashcan full of tissues next to the bed. And Luke noticed the way his own heart broke and splintered when he realized that he had done this to his beautiful boy.

Ashton was looking at him expectantly, waiting for Luke to give him some sort of explanation as to why he acted like the biggest douche in the history of biggest douches.

Luke smiled sadly at Ashton before he began talking again. He didn't know exactly where to start, so he figured he would go all the way back to the beginning.

“When I was younger, I wanted to meet my soul mate more than anything. I saw the way my parents looked at each other and I wanted that. I wanted to know what it felt like to meet your other half, to be completely and totally in love with someone. I couldn't wait for the day I would finally get my soul mate tattoo.” Luke smiled sadly at the ring on his pinky that he was nervously playing with. He was remembering back to a time when he was innocent and happy and it made him sad when he realized how much he had changed.

“I waited forever for my tattoo. I started getting worried when all my friends had gotten theirs and I still hadn’t. The closer it got to my birthday, the more I had to accept the fact that I didn't have a soul mate. Everyone says that if you don't get your tattoo by a certain age, then you don't have a soul mate. That time came and went and no tattoo appeared and I was heartbroken. You should've seen me, Ash. I was so upset. But I also knew it was coming, or, like I _felt_ that it would happen, that I wouldn't get my tattoo. So I started preparing myself, bracing for the worst. And I’m glad that I did because even though I distanced myself from everyone who had ever been a part of my life, it hurt less to hear what people said about me. Like, I knew people would talk. I knew rumors would spread. Why would this seemingly harmless, awkward kid suddenly turn into a tattooed hard-ass overnight? Some people knew the truth, others just thought I had gotten into drugs or some shit like that.” Luke paused for a moment to laugh bitterly. “Hell, I wish drugs were the reason why I started acting this way. I could come back from that, but I can’t come back from _this_. For the longest time, I thought I didn't have a soul mate and that fucking killed me inside. I started beating myself up over it. I figured that if I wasn't good enough for the universe to give me a soul mate, then I wasn't good enough for anybody. So I built up these walls and I shut everyone else out.”

Luke made eye contact with Ashton for the first time since he started baring his soul. He took a seat next to Ashton on the bed and resisted the urge to grab the other boy’s hand and entwine their fingers.

“But then I met you, Ash, and you're just so wonderful and happy and _genuinely good_. I remember seeing you for the first time in the cafeteria and I couldn't help but falling in love with you right then and there. And I should have known then. I should have put the pieces together, but I'm so fucking stupid and I didn't realize it until later…” Luke trailed off. He suddenly realized that he got his soul mate tattoo the night before Ashton’s first day of school. It was then that Luke realized that it probably wasn't a coincidence.

“Realize what?” Ashton asked, speaking to Luke for the first time since he accidentally walked in on him with another guy.

“I was late to school that day,” Luke said and Ashton thought that made sense with the way he remembered Luke looking like a hot mess when he walked into the lunchroom.

“I was late to school because I had gotten my soul mate tattoo the night before. It was like two in the morning and I couldn't sleep and my skin just randomly started burning and I was so scared that I thought I was dying.” Luke’s eyes were looking down at his hands in his lap, but they were glossed over in a way that told Ashton that Luke was reliving that night again in his mind.

Ashton frowned as Luke spoke about how his skin felt like it was on fire. No one ever felt any pain when their tattoo showed up. It just appeared on their skin one day, no questions asked. But Ashton figured that it made sense for Luke’s to hurt. Nobody ever got their tattoo as late as Luke got his so maybe the burning was a side effect of the delayed appearance of his tattoo. But Ashton couldn't bring himself to linger on that thought for too long when he thought of something else important.

“You got your soul mate tattoo the night before you met me?” Ashton asked.

“Yeah,” Luke nodded, snapping out of his thoughts and looking at Ashton. “That’s why I should've realized it earlier. I should have known that you were my soul mate right away because of the way you just completely took over.” Luke laughed lightly to himself.

“What do you mean?” Ashton was confused.

“Since the moment I made eye contact with you in the cafeteria, every thought was consumed by you. I wanted to know who you were and why I had never noticed someone as beautiful as you before.”

Ashton blushed at Luke’s words, but the blond continued to talk.

“And then we were paired up for that music project and I just about fainted when I realized you were my partner. And you were _so_ nice, I mean you _are_ nice, but you were nice even when we first started talking and I was kind of blown away because no one is ever nice to me.”

Ashton frowned again. He knew that people avoided Luke and he knew it was because the taller boy acted tough and rude, but now Ashton understood that it was all just a front so people wouldn't see the broken and sad boy that Luke really was.

“So if you liked me so much, then why did you keep pushing me away?” Ashton asked.

Luke looked at him with pain in his eyes and Ashton realized that this was it, this was the moment he would get the truth for Luke’s actions.

Luke’s voice sounded small and scared when he started talking again. “When it finally sunk in that I had a soul mate, I was afraid. I should have been happy about finally getting my tattoo, but all I kept thinking about was what a horrible person I am and how I wouldn’t be good enough for whoever my soul mate was.”

Luke gave Ashton a watery smile. “And I was right. I’m not good enough for my soul mate. If I was good enough for you, Ash, then we wouldn't be here right now. So I did what I thought was the right thing to do. I tried to push you away. I wanted to give you a chance at happiness, to be with someone who would treat you the way you deserve to be treated. I’m not that person. Just look at the way I treated you. I lied and kept secrets from you and went behind your back with another guy. I can't give you what you deserve, Ashton. I can't make you happy. So I decided to make you hate me and I figured that if you hated me enough, you could move on and find someone else. I was trying to do the right thing by you.”

Ashton didn't know what to say in response to Luke’s confession. He thought Luke was doing all that because he hated him, but as it turns out, Luke was actually in love with him. Ashton needed a minute to sort through everything he was feeling. First, he felt betrayed. Then, he was mad. But now, after listening to Luke pour his heart out to him, he can't ignore the fact that the only thing he’s feeling at the moment is pure and utter adoration. So many thoughts were buzzing through Ashton’s head and he knew he needed to say something, so he settled on the one thought that was beating the loudest against his skull.

“You're a fucking idiot, Luke.”

Luke nodded his head slowly and slumped his shoulders. “I know.”

Ashton let out an exaggerated sigh, acting a bit overdramatic in an attempt to break the tension in the room.

“But you're _my_ fucking idiot. And I forgive you.”

Ashton laughed at the startled expression on Luke’s face. He clearly wasn't expecting to be forgiven and Ashton thought that was really endearing.

“No, Ash, I don’t-”

“Deserve me? No, you don’t. Not right now, anyway. But you're gonna make it up to me.” Ashton interrupted and stated matter of factly.

“How?” Luke asked, eager to jump at any opportunity to make it up to the boy with the honey curls.

“You're taking me out on a date and you're gonna wine and dine the crap out of me.” Ashton said smiling.

Luke nodded his head quickly, aware (and not caring) of the fact that he probably looked _way_  too eager to please Ashton.

“I can do that.” He said.

“You better,” Ashton joked lightly.

“Now take me home, Michael. My mom probably thinks you and Cal kidnapped me.” Ashton knew that Michael was outside the door, hanging onto every word that was said between the two boys as if their emotional crisis was a poorly acted soap opera that Michael couldn't turn away from, no matter how hard he tried. Michael came into the room again, smiling a little (a lot) sheepishly after being caught eavesdropping.

“Okay,” the red head started. “I can take you both home.”

Luke smiled, but shook his head. “I’m just gonna grab my bike from the trunk of your car.”

“You sure? It’s no problem to drive you.” Once again, Luke couldn't help but think that he liked Michael. This kid was too nice for his own good.

“Yeah, I'm sure.” Luke didn't offer an explanation as to why he didn't want Michael to drive him, but Ashton knew that Luke probably wanted to clear his head. That was a lot of emotional baggage he just exposed and he probably just wanted to be alone right now. And Ashton understood. So after Luke and Michael had pulled the blond boy’s bike out of the trunk, Ashton leaned up and gave Luke a sweet kiss on his cheek.

“I'll see you later, Lukey!” Ashton giggled.

Luke smiled genuinely and nodded. He was grateful that Ashton didn’t comment on the blush that made his whole face heat up and turn crimson.

_(He only kissed your cheek. Get yourself together, Luke!)_

Luke leaned down to pluck up one of the wildflowers that was growing in a patch of grass along the road. He placed the light purple flower carefully behind Ashton’s ear. And this time, it was Luke who didn’t comment on the way the other boy’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink.

Luke leaned forward and ghosted his lips over Ashton’s forehead.

“Bye, Ashton,” Luke whispered before he placed a feather light kiss to the shorter boy’s forehead.

Ashton watched as Luke turned and pedaled away from him and he couldn't help the feeling of absolute fondness that took over as he watched his boy go.

And if Ashton placed Luke’s flower next to him on his pillow that night, well, no one else had to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was probably my favorite chapter to write so far! I just really love lashton and this chapter made me kind of emotional to write, especially at the end.  
> Also, if anyone is confused about the way Luke got his soul mate tattoo, just chalk it up to him being a universal anomaly.  
> If you guys have any comments, please feel free to leave them below or message me on tumblr. It makes me so happy when you guys do that!  
> As always, thank you for reading! I really appreciate it! (:


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I'm sorry for the long wait for this chapter. I've been really busy with school and haven't had the time to write.  
> Warning: Smut ahead! I'm pretty sure this is the moment we've all been waiting for, but I just wanted to warn you in case anyone isn't comfortable with it. Also, this was my first time writing boyxboy so please keep that in mind when you're reading it.

Luke made good on his promise to wine and dine Ashton. After several outfit changes and an awkward confrontation with Ashton’s mom, (she threatened to shove Ashton’s drumsticks down Luke’s throat if he ever hurt her baby again) the two boys were in the car that Luke’s brother let him borrow so he could take his soul mate out on a fancy date. (Luke was forever grateful that Jack was such a great brother because if he wasn't, Luke would have had to awkwardly try to fit Ashton onto his bike with him and that’s not how he wanted their date to start.) So the two boys were currently sitting in Jack’s car, their hands locked together on the center console, while Luke drove Ashton to their date’s destination.

It took Luke several days to plan this date. He stressed over the fact that Ashton was not a materialistic person and he was confused about where to take the curly haired boy on their date. After much deliberation, Luke decided that he would be romantic and plan something special for Ashton, instead of just taking him to a generic, overpriced restaurant. Luke hoped he made the right decision.

By the way Ashton's eyes absolutely _sparkled_ when Luke told him that they were having a picnic, Luke knew he made the right choice.

The two boys arrived in the meadow that had taken Luke forever to find. He didn't know his ugly city had such a beautiful little slice of heaven and he immediately claimed it as his and Ashton’s. Luke had already set up for the date before he picked up Ashton and he basked in the way Ashton skipped excitedly over to the blankets on the ground as soon as he stepped out of the car. Luke smiled fondly at the other boy as he grabbed the basket of food from the trunk of the car. Ashton was apparently having a hard time choosing what he was more excited about – the picnic that was set up in front of him or the fact that he was surrounded by hundreds of wild flowers.

Luke set the basket of food down on the ground and turned to Ashton. He rubbed his hands soothingly up and down his soul mate’s arms.

“I'm truly sorry for the way I’ve been acting. I don't know if you can ever really forgive me for what I've done, but I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you if I have to.”

Ashton blushed and tilted his face up towards Luke. Luke got the hint and slowly brought himself down to the shorter boy’s level. He stopped when their mouths were only mere inches apart.

“Luke,” Ashton began and the blond boy shivered when he felt Ashton’s hot breath fan over his face. “Of course I forgive you. I…I love you.”

Luke’s heart just about beat out of his chest when Ashton spoke those three words. “I love you too,” Luke breathed as he pressed forward to connect their lips.

The kiss was sweet and slow, but it was still passionate. Luke’s lips were saying  _I'm sorry_ and Ashton’s were saying _I forgive you_ and somehow, the kiss also managed to say _I love you_.

The boys eventually had to pull away from each other to breathe. Luke rested his forehead against Ashton’s and they both smiled at each other. The kiss made everything better, as if it magically healed all the wounds and broken promises. Luke kissed Ashton’s nose and grabbed the other boy’s hand to pull him down onto the blankets.

They sat across from each other as Luke pulled the food out of the picnic basket and Ashton preoccupied himself with picking a bunch of flowers and weaving them together into a flower crown (which he eventually placed on top of Luke's head and even though Luke scoffed, he still blushed and ran his fingers over the soft petals. He kept it on for the rest of the date.)

Luke was proud of himself for planning this picnic. He made turkey sandwiches for himself and Ashton because he remembered how the smaller boy would practically inhale the sandwich that he always had for lunch. Ashton claimed that Luke made the turkey sandwich to end all turkey sandwiches and he insisted that he had never eaten anything better. Luke also brought some kind of sparkling cider drink that wasn't alcoholic, but it still made the boys feel giggly and fancy when they drank it. Luke also bought chocolate covered strawberries for dessert and Ashton almost started crying from happiness.

The two talked and laughed as they ate and Luke couldn't help but notice how natural it was for him to be with Ashton. Ashton felt like home. Luke decided to tell him that after they had finished their food and were lying side by side on the blanket, watching as the sun began to set over Australia. Ashton gave Luke’s hand a light squeeze as if to say _yeah, you feel like home too_. Luke had never been happier.

When the sun had finally set and the first of the stars began to appear in the sky, Luke turned towards Ashton and whispered, “I have a surprise for you. Stay here.”

Ashton sat up and watched as Luke made his way over to the trees at the edge of the meadow. All of a sudden, the trees light up in bright, sparkling lights and Ashton didn't even bother holding back his excited squeal.

“Fairy lights!” Ashton practically shouted at Luke as the blond was making his way back to the blanket. Luke laughed at Ashton’s excitement.

Ashton tackled Luke into a hug. “How did you do all this?”

“I have my ways,” Luke laughed and Ashton pouted at him.

“A magician never reveals his secrets, Ash.” Luke said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Ashton rolled his eyes at this because _wow his soul mate is so lame_ (and he wouldn't have it any other way).

Somehow, when Ashton tackled Luke, he managed to end up on top of the other boy, straddling the blond’s thighs. Ashton took advantage of this position and leaned down to kiss Luke.

Luke noted that this kiss was different from the last one. The last one was full of love and forgiveness, whereas this one was Ashton saying _thankyouthankyouthankyou, you make me so happy_. Luke smiled into the kiss.

Ashton pulled back, but he didn't get off of Luke. He tilted his face towards the sky and looked at the stars. What Luke didn't know was that Ashton was silently thanking the universe for giving him Luke.

After a moment, Ashton looked down at Luke again with so much love in his eyes that Luke couldn't even bring himself to look at the stars anymore because they paled in comparison to the way Ashton’s eyes were shining.

But then Ashton got serious and something flashed in his eyes that made Luke nervous.

“I love you,” Ashton whispered and Luke melted at the sound of those words coming from Ashton’s mouth. “And I don't care about the walls that you put up and the way you made everyone hate you. I don't care about the fact that you try to be this tough, bad boy even though I know you're not. I only care about one thing – _you_. And I know that you spent years convincing yourself that you weren't good enough, but trust me, Luke, you _are_ good enough. You're _more_ than good enough and I am so, _so_ happy that you're mine. And I know you probably can’t believe me when I say that because you've spent so much time lying to yourself and telling yourself that no one could ever love you, but I'm not lying to you, Luke. I would never lie to you and I mean it when I say that I couldn't imagine having a better person for a soul mate.”

Luke couldn't look Ashton in the eye, so he focused on the way his hands were resting lightly on his soul mate’s waist. Ashton knew of his fears without Luke even having to say them out loud. Luke guessed that this was what it was like to have a soul mate; to have someone who knew what you were thinking before you even had a chance to think it. But Ashton was right. As much as Luke wanted to believe that he was enough for his soul mate, he couldn’t. Years of self-hatred and loneliness had Luke convinced that no one could ever love him.

Ashton snapped Luke out of his thoughts when he whispered, “Let me show you.”

“Show me what?” Luke whispered back. Even though they were alone, the moment was too intimate for either of them to speak louder than a whisper.

“Let me show you how much I love you, how wonderful I think you are.” Ashton murmured as he pressed a soft kiss to Luke’s lips.

Luke didn't fully understand Ashton’s intentions until he began kissing his way down Luke’s neck. Ashton’s large hands rubbed over Luke’s shoulders and down his torso and he couldn't ignore the fact that goose bumps spread across his skin wherever Ashton would touch him. Luke was so absorbed in the way Ashton’s lips felt as they sucked a love bite onto his neck that he didn't even notice when the brunet boy began ridding Luke of his shirt. Luke caught Ashton’s wrist and pulled back slightly.

“No, Ash. You don't have to do this. We should wait.” Luke tried to protest.

“Wait for what? I've been waiting for you my whole life and now that I have you, I want you. I want you in every way, Luke.”

“Don’t you think we're, like, rushing things?” Luke asked. “I mean, this is only our first date.”

“So what? Why does it matter if we do it on our first date or our tenth one? I have you for the rest of my life.” Ashton blushed a little as he said this. “That is, only if you want me…”

“Of course I want you, baby. I want you forever. I just don't want you rushing into something you're not ready for.”

“I’m ready,” Ashton said. “I've just never done this before.” He added on shyly.

“I'll guide you through it. No need to be nervous, sweetie.” Luke lifted Ashton’s chin with his finger and pressed a quick kiss to Ashton’s mouth.

Luke then let Ashton continue to undress him and he tried (but failed) not to feel too smug with the way that Ashton was admiring his naked torso. Ashton leaned forward again quickly to kiss and suck along Luke’s shoulders.

“Youre so broad, Luke,” Ashton moaned and Luke had to laugh at that because yeah, puberty did well by him.

Luke cut his own laugh short with a moan when Ashton sucked at a particularly sensitive spot on the blond boy’s neck. Ashton continued to kiss his way down Luke’s chest until he reached the waistband of his jeans. Ashton slowly (painfully slowly, in Luke’s opinion) took off Luke’s jeans. He sat back just enough to look down at Luke and take in the image before him.

Luke was lying underneath him on the blanket. His normally bright blue eyes were hooded and dark with lust. The bruises that Ashton sucked onto Luke’s neck and collarbone contrasted with his usually pale skin. Ashton giggled seeing the way he messed up Luke’s perfect quiff. His hair was now sticking out in all directions and the flower crown that Ashton made him earlier was sitting crookedly on top of his messy hair. Ashton decided that he liked this Luke the most, liked the way Luke’s breathing was uneven and how he moaned Ashton’s name.

Ashton thought this felt so right.

But in the next instant, Luke flipped the two of them over and Ashton realized that being underneath Luke felt _even more_ right than before.

Now Ashton was the one who was moaning and writhing under his soul mate’s touch. Once Luke discarded Ashton’s shirt, his mouth was everywhere on the shorter boy’s body. Ashton was overwhelmed by the way Luke’s tongue licked hotly into his mouth and how he then bit and sucked at Ashton’s jaw line. Ashton watched in awe as Luke sunk lower and lower down Ashton’s body and the curly haired boy couldn't help the way his hips thrust upwards in anticipation. Luke trailed his tongue along the waistband of Ashton’s jeans and Ashton let out a choked little whimper. He needed Luke to give him more.

“Lukey,” Ashton whined. “Please.”

“Please, what?” Luke smirked and Ashton wanted to slap him. The jerk knew exactly what he was doing.

“Please fuck me,” Ashton whimpered.

Luke groaned in response and the sound shot straight to Ashton’s hardening cock. Luke then began to pull off Ashton’s jeans. He admired the outline of Ashton’s dick through his boxers for about five seconds before he decided that that was enough and tore off Ashton’s boxers as well.

And all of a sudden, reality set in and Luke realized that his soul mate was naked underneath him. Luke took a moment to admire Ashton’s body. Luke loved everything about Ashton. He loved how his eyes were a beautiful mixture of brown and green. He loved the dimples that overtook Ashton’s face when he gave even the tiniest of smiles. He loved the tan skin that stretched over the other boy’s defined muscles. He loved the way Ashton’s stomach was clenching and unclenching with the anticipation of what was about to happen. Luke loved Ashton in general. The boy didn’t have one single flaw.

While Luke was admiring the boy underneath him, his eyes eventually settled on Ashton’s dick. It was long and thick and the tip was flushed a darker shade of red that matched the blush that was currently spreading across Ashton’s chest. Luke licked his lips at the sight of the other boy's dick at the same time that it twitched against Ashton’s stomach and a little bit of precome was forced out of the tip. Luke’s body moved as if he was on autopilot when he leaned down and took Ashton’s cock into his mouth. Ashton’s moan was absolutely pornographic and Luke couldn't help but wrap a hand around his own aching cock.

“Luke! Luke, _please!_ ” Ashton was almost in tears. Luke wasn't giving the smaller boy much more than a few teasing licks to the head of Ashton’s cock and Ashton couldn't take it anymore. Luke smirked at the way Ashton already seemed absolutely wrecked and they haven't even done anything yet.

“I need more,” Ashton moaned, trying to thrust up into Luke’s mouth, but the blond was too fast and pinned down the other boy’s hips before Ashton could receive any more pleasure.

“You need more, huh?” Luke asked, his hot breath fanning over Ashton’s dick and the other boy continued to attempt to thrust his hips upwards. He needed something, _anything_. It wasn't fair how badly Luke was teasing him.

“Get on your hands and knees,” Luke said before Ashton had a chance to respond.

Ashton did as he was told, but was confused when he didn't feel Luke’s presence behind him. Ashton looked over his shoulder to see Luke practically sprinting back to his car. Luke returned only a few moments later with a bottle of lube and a condom.

Ashton feigned offense at this. “Lucas Hemmings! Did you know this was going to happen tonight? What kind of boy do you take me for?”

Luke laughed along and said, “Let’s just be thankful that Jack is a pervert and keeps some lube in his car.”

“Wait. Why does your brother have lube?” Ashton asked.

Luke paused his motion of taking the cap off of the bottle in his hand. “I honestly don't know and I don't want to know.”

Ashton laughed lightly but let the conversation end there. He really didn't want to think about Luke’s brother when he was about to have sex with Luke.

Ashton felt Luke’s hands rub soothingly down his back. The touch was sensual and it calmed Ashton’s nerves. He had never done this before. He had never even kissed someone other than Luke before and he was incredibly nervous about having sex for the first time. Luke could sense Ashton’s nervousness in the way his body was tense and his legs were shaking slightly.

Luke, who was now completely naked as well, leaned over Ashton’s back to whisper in his ear.

“It’s okay, Ash. We don't have to do anything you don't want to do.”

“I want this. I'm just…nervous.” Ashton whispered the last word. “Will it hurt?”

Luke took a moment to leave a trail of sweet kisses across Ashton’s shoulders before he answered.

“It will in the beginning, but then it will start to feel good. And if you need me to stop at anytime, just say so. I don't want to hurt you.”

Ashton nodded and his legs began to shake again, but this time wasn't because of his nerves. It was because of the way Luke was kissing down his back, gently caressing the skin over his ribs as he pressed feather light kisses to Ashton’s tan skin. It was the way Luke’s hands eventually made their way down to Ashton’s ass and how they tenderly kneaded his cheeks that made Ashton’s legs shake. And it wasn't until Luke spread Ashton’s cheeks apart and pressed a gentle kiss to Ashton’s hole that the smaller boy let out another moan.

“Gotta prep you, baby,” Luke muttered against the soft skin of Ashton’s rear.

Ashton felt something warm and wet against his hole and immediately pushed himself back onto Luke’s tongue. Luke’s tongue circled the rim of Ashton’s asshole before pushing inside. Luke worked his tongue in and out of the tight ring of muscle. The intense feeling of Luke eating his ass, coupled with the obscene slurping and smacking sounds of the other boy’s lips, had Ashton mewling. Without detaching his lips from Ashton, Luke coated his fingers with lube and slowly pressed one into Ashton. Ashton’s body jerked forward, a natural reaction to try to pull away from the invasive presence in his rear. Luke hooked his arm around Ashton’s thighs and pulled him back towards him once again.

“You have to let your body adjust,” Luke said, giving Ashton’s ass cheeks a kiss each.

“O-okay,” Ashton choked out, nervous but determined to feel Luke inside of him. Luke stilled him movements, remaining motionless until Ashton told him it was okay to continue. When the blond got his permission, he slowly eased more of his finger into Ashton. When his finger reached the second knuckled, he paused again and gave Ashton more time to adjust.

After many (excruciatingly slow) minutes, Luke finally had two fingers in Ashton’s hole and he began scissoring the boy open. Ashton’s whines of discomfort eventually turned into moans of pleasure as Luke worked him open more. Upon the curly haired boy’s request, Luke added another finger. This stretch was more uncomfortable for Ashton and he needed Luke to stop for a minute. Luke took this as an opportunity to try and distract Ashton from the pain he was currently in.

“You're doing so great, baby,” Luke praised as he rubbed slow circles into the small of Ashton’s back. “I promise I'm gonna make you feel so good. This will all be worth it.” Luke wrapped his free hand around the base of Ashton's cock and slowly pumped. He thumbed lightly over the head of Ashton's cock, smearing the precome over the tip and down part of his shaft.

Ashton made a tiny whining noise. “Go,” was all he said to Luke, his command coming out as a gasp.

Luke’s fingers moved in Ashton's ass again, in and out slowly, just like before. After a few minutes of this, Luke began curling his fingers, shifting slightly around inside the other boy to thrust into him at different angles. After a few experimental thrusts, Luke hit the spot inside of Ashton that made him see stars.

“ _Luke_ ,” Ashton moaned, drawing out his name. “ _Do that again_.”

Luke began fucking his fingers faster into Ashton, thrusting directly into his prostate until the boy was a shaking and moaning mess underneath him. Eventually, Luke pulled his fingers out of Ashton, to which the boy protested. But his complaints were silenced when he felt the tip of Luke’s cock at his entrance.

“Remember to tell me if it hurts,” Luke said. His voice was husky, deeper than it usually was and it sent a shiver down Ashton’s spine.

“I will,” Ashton promised.

And with that, Luke rolled on the condom and lathered himself up with lube and gradually pushed into Ashton. Luke checked himself after every couple of seconds. He wanted to make sure he was going slowly enough so he wouldn't harm Ashton in any way, but he found it difficult to control himself. Ashton was so tight and warm around him. His velvety walls clenched on his cock so tightly that Luke had to grip roughly onto Ashton’s hips to restrain himself from slamming forward.

“Ashton,” Luke panted. “You feel…so good. _So fucking tight_.” Luke gasped out between breaths.

Ashton just moaned in response.

Luke stilled once again when he bottomed out. The pressure engulfing Luke’s cock was almost too much for him. He had to try and calm himself down somehow or this would be over in about thirty seconds and Luke didn't want that. He wanted this to last forever.

“You can move now,” Ashton panted underneath him.

Luke didn't budge. He just gripped Ashton’s hips tighter.

“Lukey?” Ashton was breathless, but he still sounded concerned. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I – _fuck!_ ”

Ashton shifted slightly below him and the movement was enough to send sparks shooting through Luke’s body.

“Stay still. I just need a minute.” Luke begged.

“I thought you’ve done this before?” Ashton asked, trying to look at Luke from over his shoulder.

“I have,” Luke panted. “Just never with something this tight.”

Ashton blushed furiously, the heat in his face creeping down his neck and chest.

Luke took a deep breath and lessened his grip on Ashton’s hips. Then, he eased backwards a bit, only to rock forward again a few seconds later. Both boys let out an obscene moan and Luke took that as his cue to go faster. He began pounding into Ashton, pulling almost all the way out before surging forwards again. He easily found Ashton’s prostate again and thrusted harshly into it. Ashton’s arms gave out and he fell forwards, succumbing to the pleasure. He pushed his ass up higher in the air and allowed Luke to thrust into him even deeper.

Ashton had never felt anything like this in his life. He hurt in the most amazing way possible. His body felt hot and his muscles began to spasm with each jolt of electricity that Luke sent shooting through him. The pleasure was so intense that he felt tears prick in his eyes. It was when Luke wrapped one of his hands around Ashton’s neglected cock that the tears began to stream freely down his face. This feeling was euphoric and he never wanted it to end.

But he was a virgin and this was his first time and he knew he wouldn't last very long. There was one thing he wanted to do before he reached his high.

“Lukey, wait!” Ashton moaned into the ground.

Luke immediately stopped moving, hands gently caressing his skin. “What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?”

Ashton appreciated the way Luke was being so careful with him. “No, you didn’t hurt me. I just…I want to try something…” Ashton trailed off.

“Try what?” Luke sounded hesitant.

Ashton was embarrassed to say it out loud. He had never done anything like this before and he wished he knew a way to not be awkward about it.

“Iwannarideyou,” Ashton rushed out.

“What?” Luke asked, but the way he sounded more shocked than confused told Ashton that he had heard what he said.

“I wanna ride you,” Ashton said again, slower this time. “Is that okay?”

“Yeah. Fuck yeah.” Luke choked out before he began to pull out of Ashton.

Ashton whined, his hole clenching around nothing and he cursed himself for putting a temporary end to his bliss. But then Luke laid down and looked at Ashton expectantly and Ashton tried his hardest not to stare too blatantly as Luke’s leaking cock, but it was just about the prettiest thing he had ever seen. And he wanted to wreck himself on it.

So Ashton straddled Luke for the second time that night and slowly sank down onto his soul mate’s dick. Luke moaned loudly, the vein in his neck protruding as he tried his hardest to keep himself together. Ashton leaned down and licked up the vein, sucking a bruise onto it before he ground himself down on Luke. Luke’s hands flew to Ashton’s hips and he felt sorry for a moment because the shorter boy will most definitely have bruises there later. But that thought was quickly pushed from Luke’s mind as Ashton began to rock himself back and forth on top of Luke.

Ashton’s large hands were splayed out across Luke’s chest as he bounced up and down, his curls bouncing right along with him. Luke couldn't help but feel so in love with the way Ashton’s mouth fell open when he groaned or how his voice sounded when he moaned Luke’s name. Ashton rolled Luke’s nipples between his fingers as he worked himself on Luke’s cock. Luke arched his back up towards him, a loud moan tearing from his throat. Ashton was a moaning mess as well. Luke was pounding into his prostate once again and his toes were curling from the overwhelming feeling.

“You look so pretty like this, Lukey.” Ashton leaned down to capture Luke’s lips with his own. The kiss was messy, full of teeth and tongue. It shouldn't have felt as good as it did. Ashton began dragging himself along Luke’s cock at a different angle and Luke’s whole body began convulsing from the pleasure of it.

“You're good enough, Lukey. You're so good. _So good_.” Ashton moaned. “How could you ever think that I wouldn't want you? I love you. I love you when you're grumpy. And when you're trying to be tough. But I think I love you like this the most.” Ashton leaned in close to Luke again, his mouth right next to his ear. “When your cock is up my ass and you're moaning my name.” Luke groaned at Ashton’s dirty talk. He wasn't exactly sure when the tables had turned and when Ashton had apparently taken control and turned Luke into putty, but he wasn't protesting. He liked Ashton like this too.

“I bet you look so good when you're coming. Can you come for me, Lukey? Show me how good I make you feel.”

And that was all Luke really needed before he felt his toes curl and a heat rise in his belly. The feeling shot up and out of him so quickly that he didn't even have time to react. He thinks he moaned Ashton’s name, but he can't be sure. He just remembers his vision going white and a ringing in his ears as he came the hardest he ever had.

But after a few moments, he was able to pull himself back to reality long enough to wrap a hand around Ashton’s cock and quickly pump his shaft. Ashton came over Luke’s hand and stomach with a shout of Luke’s name. Then he collapsed on top of the taller boy and the two of them just laid there, trying to even out there breathing for God knows how long. Eventually, Ashton weakly pushed himself off of Luke and he rolled over next to him on the ground. Both boys on their backs, faces looking up at the stars, thanking the universe.

“I love you,” Ashton said after a short silence.

Luke turned his head to look at the boy lying next to him. A smile spread across his face at the sight of how spent Ashton looked.

“I love you too,” Luke replied, smiling impossibly wider.

“You have a dimple,” Ashton said as he reached a hand up to poke it. “It’s cute.”

“You're cute,” Luke responded. Ashton laughed.

It was silent again for a few moments, but then Ashton decided that they should probably start heading home before his mom sent out a search party for him.

After they got dressed again, they packed up their picnic and headed towards the car. On the way home, Luke had grabbed Ashton’s hand and entwined his fingers with Ashton’s larger ones. Both boys couldn't help the love-sick smiles that spread across both of their faces.

“Lukey?” Ashton asked, almost shyly.

“Yeah, baby?”

Ashton would be lying if he said his heart didn't flutter at the nickname.

“Will you be mine?”

“I already am,” Luke said.

“Forever?”

“Forever,” Luke confirmed. “Until death do us part. And then even after that.”

Ashton’s heart didn't just flutter this time. It swelled and burst in his chest and unleashed a thousand butterflies that made him feel weak at the knees. He was so in love with Luke and Luke was in love with him too.

Ashton had finally found his love that would last a lifetime. And according to Luke, it would last even longer than that.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it! Luke and Ashton had their first official date and finally had sex. I hope you don't think that I rushed the sex part. I was looking at the situation from this Ashton's pov and I thought he would have wanted it to happen that way so that's how I wrote it. I'm also not super fond with the ending, but that's okay because there's still one more chapter left. The last chapter will probably be like an epilogue type of thing so look for that in the next week or so.  
> As always, thanks for reading! Comments are always welcome! I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter and please let me know if I can do anything to make the smut better in future fics!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted overprotective Calum to make one last appearance because that is my weakness.  
> Also, sorry for the longest wait ever. I have been drowning in school work.

Calum was shocked when he found out that Ashton and Luke became an official couple. He was astounded when he was told that his boyfriend helped the pair reach that status. And he became absolutely livid when he saw Ashton at school the following Monday and realized that he was walking with a slight limp.

Calum thought that Luke had purposefully harmed Ashton out of spite, but when the dark haired boy found out that Ashton had a sore bum because of a _much_ different reason, he almost wished he was right the first time.

Calum threw a fit. He was mad at Luke for stealing Ashton’s innocence and he was mad at Ashton for letting him, but most of all, he was mad that his boyfriend went behind his back and helped the two other boys make up.

“Why didn't you tell me?” Calum asked, sounding the tiniest bit hurt.

Michael scoffed. “Oh geez I wonder why,” he said sarcastically.

Calum tried to glare at Michael, but the longer he looked at the boy, the more he couldn't stay mad. The pair seemed to be having yet another one of their telepathic conversations. It was a long moment of tense silence before anyone spoke again.

“Fine,” Calum sounded much like a stubborn toddler and Ashton half expected him to stomp his foot too. But the conversation ended there and even if Calum didn't approve (which he most certainly did not) he promised not to say anything else about Luke for the rest of the day.

*

Calum’s promise lasted for about thirty seconds. The moment that Michael and Ashton walked off to class together, Calum went in search to find Luke. He found the blond at his locker, looking surprisingly happy for once. His usual scowl was replaced with a faint smile and Calum almost didn't recognize him.

“Hemmings,” Calum said as he leaned up against the locker next to Luke’s.

“Hood,” Luke greeted with a nod of his head.

Calum glared at Luke for a few seconds before a grin broke out across Luke’s face and he started laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Calum asked.

“You don't look too happy, which means that you probably found out about what Ashton and I did this weekend. You're probably here to kill me, right?”

Calum narrowed his eyes. “Not kill you. Just threaten you a little.”

Luke nodded, but stayed silent, letting the other boy continue.

“If you hurt him in any way, I'll make sure that you're hurt twice as bad. And if you make him cry like that again, it will be the last thing you ever do.”

“That’s very Liam Neeson of you,” Luke joked, but he became serious when he saw the way Calum was glaring at him.

“I promise,” Luke started again. “I will never hurt him. Not in a million years. I love him more than anything and all I want is for him to be happy. I know you don't believe me, but you’ll see just how much he means to me.”

*

And overtime, Calum did get to see how much Ashton meant to Luke. It was obvious in the way Luke smiled the biggest whenever he was around the curly haired boy. He could see it in the way the blond would drape his arm over the shorter boy’s shoulders and pull him tight against his side. Calum saw how Luke and Ashton constantly borrowed clothes from each other and how Luke would always hold the umbrella directly over Ashton’s head when it was raining and he would sacrifice his blond quiff. Calum watched as Ashton’s free-spirited personality began to open Luke back up to the world. It was like watching the snow slowly melt away to reveal a garden underneath.

The soul mates were officially introduced to each other’s families and Ashton fell in love with Luke even more when he saw the way he interacted with his younger siblings. (Ashton’s introduction to the Hemmings family was a little awkward because of the last time he was at Luke’s house, but Jack didn't once mention the way he had previously run out of the house crying and Ashton was extremely grateful for that.)

And whether they were having a movie night with Calum and Michael, or picking flowers in their meadow, Ashton made sure to tell Luke that he was everything he ever wanted.

And whether they were cuddling together in Ashton’s bed, or caught up in their own little world between the sheets, Luke made sure Ashton knew that he was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

Because how could Luke not love the boy with the deep dimples and the sparkling hazel eyes? That boy was a masterpiece straight out of a museum. That boy was the rising sun in the morning that kept the darkness at bay. That boy was everything that was right with the world wrapped up in one perfect little package.

And that boy was _his_.

And Luke could finally fall asleep peacefully with his boy tucked into his side, knowing that the faint scent of honey and vanilla was an unspoken promise of brighter days to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's done! Oh my goodness I can't believe it's actually over. This fic feels like my child that I don't want to move out of the house because I love it too much and never want to let it go. This will always have a very special place in my heart, but now I am looking forward to writing other fics in the future. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, you can comment here or message me on tumblr.  
> Also, I want to dedicate this fic to my best friend, [Kristen](http://ashketchumirwin.tumblr.com//) . Thank you for letting me run ideas by you and for always giving me your honest feedback. This is only one of the many reasons why I love you!  
> Special shout out to T-bird (I'm sorry, I don't know your real name!) for commenting on pretty much every chapter and always leaving comments that never failed to bring a smile to my face.  
> And, as always, thanks to every person who has read this fic and to those of you who left a comment. It's still crazy to think that this crappy idea that I had now has over 4500 views on here so thank you SO much!   
> And I'm definitely rambling now, sorry.  
> But thanks again! Follow me on [tumblr](http://fightmeclifford.tumblr.com//) if you'd like! Come say hey and we can cry over fanfiction together.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr [here](http://abofics.tumblr.com/) and let me know what you think of the story!
> 
>  
> 
> [Check out some art!](https://society6.com/product/rough-boy_framed-print#s6-6087091p21a12v52a13v54)


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